Explore the Family Name Chico

The meaning of Chico

1. Spanish: from chico ‘small, young’ (of uncertain origin, perhaps from Latin ciccum ‘trifle’), applied as a nickname for a small man, or for the younger of two bearers of the same personal name. 2. Portuguese: from a pet form of the personal name Francisco, a vernacular form of Franciscus (see Francis). Some characteristic forenames: Spanish Jose, Manuel, Jesus, Pedro, Rafael, Bernardo, Camilo, Cirilo, Juan, Miguel, Ramona, Ruben.

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name Chico in the United States?

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname "Chico" has seen a significant increase in popularity over the years. In the year 2000, it held the rank of 11,774 amongst all surnames, but by 2010 it had climbed to 9,788, marking a growth of 16.87%. The count of individuals with this surname also saw an upswing from 2,436 in 2000 to 3,308 in 2010, a surge of 35.8%. The proportion of Chicos per 100,000 people rose by 24.44% during this decade, from 0.9 to 1.12.

20002010Change
Rank#11,774#9,78816.87%
Count2,4363,30835.8%
Proportion per 100k0.91.1224.44%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Chico

When considering the ethnic identity of those carrying the Chico surname, based on the Decennial U.S. Census, we observe considerable differences across the two census years. In 2000, the majority of Chicos identified as Hispanic (66.58%), and this number increased to 71.37% by 2010, indicating a growth of 7.19%. Those identifying as White decreased from 15.56% to 13.60%, and those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander also dropped from 9.81% to 8.43%. The proportions of those identifying as Black and American Indian and Alaskan Native dipped as well, to 0.54% and 5.02% respectively. Interestingly, those identifying with two or more races saw a slight increase from 0.99% to 1.03%.

20002010Change
Hispanic66.58%71.37%7.19%
White15.56%13.6%-12.6%
Asian/Pacific Islander9.81%8.43%-14.07%
American Indian and Alaskan Native6.36%5.02%-21.07%
Two or More Races0.99%1.03%4.04%
Black0.7%0.54%-22.86%