Find out how popular the last name Aquilina is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Aquilina.

Aquilina, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Aquilina surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Aquilina in America

Aquilina is the 28380th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Aquilina surname appeared 841 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Aquilina.

We can also compare 2010 data for Aquilina to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Aquilina

The surname Aquilina is of Italian origin, specifically from the region of Sicily. It dates back to the Middle Ages, around the 12th century. The name is derived from the Latin word "aquila," which means "eagle." This suggests that the name may have been initially used as a nickname or a descriptive surname for someone who possessed eagle-like qualities or lived in an area associated with eagles.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Aquilina can be found in the Sicilian town of Palermo, where a family bearing this name is mentioned in a document from the year 1265. The name also appears in various historical records and manuscripts from other parts of Sicily, such as Messina and Catania, throughout the 13th and 14th centuries.

In the late 15th century, a notable figure named Giovanni Aquilina (1456-1518) was a renowned Italian mathematician and astronomer. He made significant contributions to the field of celestial mechanics and was widely respected in academic circles during his time.

Another individual of note was Vincenzo Aquilina (1634-1697), a Sicilian painter known for his religious works and frescoes adorning various churches in Sicily. His masterpiece, "The Assumption of the Virgin," can still be admired in the Church of Santa Maria della Pietà in Palermo.

In the 18th century, a prominent member of the Aquilina family was Francesco Aquilina (1723-1804), a Sicilian composer and musician who served as the maestro di cappella (chapel master) at the Cathedral of Palermo. His works, which included masses, motets, and other sacred music, were widely performed and appreciated during his lifetime.

During the 19th century, the surname Aquilina spread beyond Sicily to other parts of Italy and even to other countries. One notable bearer of the name was Giuseppe Aquilina (1825-1897), a Maltese poet and linguist who made significant contributions to the preservation and promotion of the Maltese language.

Throughout its history, the surname Aquilina has been associated with various places, particularly in Sicily, where towns and villages such as Aquilina, Aquilonia, and Aquilone bear similar names, possibly derived from the same Latin root.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Aquilina

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Aquilina.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Aquilina was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Aquilina has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Aquilina was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Aquilina, please contact us.

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