Licea
A Spanish-language surname most likely tied to a place name, especially in the Hispanic world.
The #8,860 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 83,490 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Licea is best understood as a Spanish surname formed from a place name or local identifier. In Spanish naming patterns, many surnames of this type began as a way to identify someone from a particular town, estate, or region. The exact place behind Licea is not certain from standard surname sources, so its literal root is uncertain rather than firmly established.
History
The surname is found chiefly in Spanish-speaking communities and is relatively uncommon in the United States. Like many Hispanic surnames, it was likely carried across the Atlantic through colonial-era migration and later movement within Mexico, the Caribbean, and the U.S. Southwest. Because it is uncommon, its historical trail is less well documented than that of major Iberian surnames.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The surname is uncommon enough in the U.S. that even small changes in spelling or recordkeeping can make family lines hard to trace across census and immigration records.