2000
#43,058
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 473
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.18
Very Rare Last name
Calico
A surname derived from the word "calico" referring to someone connected with the textile industry or trade in calico fabric.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 576 Americans carry the last name Calico. That puts it at #45,838 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.17 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 595,060 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Calico surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
576
1 in 595,060
Census rank
#45,838
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
502
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 502 bearers of the surname Calico in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.17 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 45838th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Calico, the largest self-reported group is White at 66.3%. The next largest groups are Black (14.1%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (9.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Calico
The surname CALICO originated in England during the late 16th century. It is derived from the Middle English word "calico", which referred to a type of cotton cloth imported from the city of Calicut in India. The name likely referred to an occupation or trade involving the manufacture or sale of this fabric.
CALICO is believed to have first appeared in written records in the late 1500s, though the earliest known bearer of the name is William Calico, a merchant from London who was mentioned in a court document from 1612. Around this time, variations like Callico and Callicoe were also seen.
In the 17th century, the CALICO surname began to spread beyond London to other parts of England, particularly in counties like Yorkshire and Lancashire, which had thriving textile industries. Notable bearers from this period include John Calico (1630-1695), a wealthy cloth merchant from York, and Sarah Calico (1656-1732), a Quaker preacher from Lancashire.
During the 18th and 19th centuries, the CALICO name continued to be associated with the textile trade, with many bearers working as weavers, dyers, or merchants dealing in calico and other cotton fabrics. Prominent individuals include Thomas Calico (1745-1821), a successful calico printer from Manchester, and Mary Ann Calico (1803-1876), a renowned needlework artist from Nottinghamshire.
As the industrial revolution took hold, some CALICO families transitioned into other occupations, such as manufacturing or mining. One notable example is James Calico (1798-1882), a coal mine owner from Yorkshire who became quite wealthy and influential in his community.
Other noteworthy CALICO individuals from history include Sir Robert Calico (1825-1901), a British diplomat and politician who served as the Governor of Fiji in the late 19th century, and Charles Calico (1872-1944), an American artist and illustrator known for his work in magazines and children's books.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Calico
Among Census respondents with the surname Calico, the largest self-reported group is White at 66.3%. The next largest groups are Black (14.1%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (9.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Calico bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Calico surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White66.3% · 333
- Black or African American14.1% · 71
- American Indian and Alaska Native9.2% · 46
- Two or more races5.8% · 29
- Hispanic or Latino2.4% · 12
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.2% · 11
Timeline
Historical Census data for Calico
Calico appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#47,521
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 446
-27 bearers (-5.7%)
Per 100,000 0.15
Rank movement Down 4,463 places
2020
#45,838
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 502
+56 bearers (+12.6%)
Per 100,000 0.17
Rank movement Up 1,683 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #43,058 | 473 | 0.18 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #47,521 | 446 | 0.15 | -27 bearers (-5.7%) | Down 4,463 places |
| 2020 | #45,838 | 502 | 0.17 | +56 bearers (+12.6%) | Up 1,683 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Calico surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #47,521 | #45,838 | 3.5% |
| Count | 446 | 502 | 12.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.15 | 0.17 | 12.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Calico bearers went from 446 to 502 (+12.6% change). The surname moved up 1,683 positions in the national ranking, going from #47,521 to #45,838.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Calico
FAQ
Calico surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Calico?
Name Census estimates that about 576 living Americans carry the surname Calico. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 595,060 residents.
How common is Calico?
Calico ranks #45,838 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.17 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 502 people with the surname Calico. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (576), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.17 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.17 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Calico.
Has Calico become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Calico went from 446 recorded bearers to 502. That is an increase of 56 (+12.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #47,521 to #45,838.
What does the Census say about the background of Calico?
Among Census respondents with the surname Calico, the largest self-reported group is White at 66.3%. The next largest groups are Black (14.1%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (9.2%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Calico in the 2020 Census, accounting for 66.3% (333 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Calico appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (66.3%), Black (14.1%), American Indian/Alaska Native (9.2%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Calico (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Calico mean?
A surname derived from the word "calico" referring to someone connected with the textile industry or trade in calico fabric. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Calico (0.17 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the last name Calico?
You can see how many people have the surname Calico on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.