Chico
A Spanish surname from chico, meaning “small” or “young,” originally used as a nickname.
The #9,788 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 93,333 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Chico comes from Spanish chico, a word meaning “small,” “little,” or sometimes “young.” As a surname, it likely began as a nickname for a smaller person, a younger family member, or someone distinguished by youthfulness. The word itself is ultimately from colloquial Spanish usage, and related forms appear in older Romance naming traditions.
History
The excerpts support the surname mainly through references to Spanish naming practice and historical nicknames such as "el Chico". In Spanish-speaking areas, this kind of descriptive byname often became hereditary over time. The form is also found outside Spain through later migration, especially to the Americas.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
In older Spanish usage, chico was a very common everyday word for “small,” which made it a natural source for nicknames and later surnames.
From the historical record
“CHICK. This name may be the same as the French name Chicque (Gascon Chicot) and the Spanish name Chico ; from chico, little, small. Hence no doubt Check, Cheek, and, as a diminutive, the name Chicken. See also Verba Noniinalia, under " Chic." CHICKEN. See CHICK.”
— Ludus Patronymicus; or, the etymology of curious surnames