Explore the Family Name Civil
The meaning of Civil
1. Catalan, southwestern French, and West Indian (mainly Haiti): nickname from Catalan and French civil, from Latin civilis ‘civil, of or pertaining to a citizen’, by extension ‘cultivated, educated’. This surname is very rare in France, where it originates from Pyrénées-Orientales. It was brought to the US mostly from Haiti. 2. English: from Middle English Sivile ‘Seville’, in allusion to fine Spanish olive oil or to sweet oranges. 3. English: nickname from Middle English civil(e) ‘law-abiding, peaceful’.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Civil in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname 'Civil' has increased significantly between the years 2000 and 2010. In 2000, 'Civil' was ranked as the 35,757th most popular surname in the United States, but by 2010 it had climbed to rank 25,486. This is a positive change of 28.72%. In terms of actual count, there were 594 individuals with the 'Civil' surname in 2000, but this figure rose to 970 by 2010, showing a substantial increase of 63.3%. The proportion of people named 'Civil' per 100,000 also grew from 0.22 to 0.33 during this period, marking a 50% increase.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #35,757 | #25,486 | 28.72% |
| Count | 594 | 970 | 63.3% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.22 | 0.33 | 50% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Civil
Concerning the ethnic identity of individuals with the surname 'Civil', based on data from the Decennial U.S. Census, there have been some notable changes between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, 64.14% identified as Black, increasing to 80.10% by 2010. The percentage identifying as White decreased from 15.66% to 11.03%, and those identifying as Hispanic fell slightly from 6.73% to 6.39%. The percentage of individuals identifying as belonging to two or more races dropped sharply from 11.62% in 2000 to just 1.34% in 2010. No individuals identified as Asian/Pacific Islander or American Indian and Alaskan Native in either year.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black | 64.14% | 80.1% | 24.88% |
| White | 15.66% | 11.03% | -29.57% |
| Hispanic | 6.73% | 6.39% | -5.05% |
| Two or More Races | 11.62% | 1.34% | -88.47% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0% | 0% |