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

Argentina, 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 Argentina surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Argentina in America

Argentina is the 98099th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Argentina surname appeared 185 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 Argentina.

We can also compare 2010 data for Argentina 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 Argentina

The surname Argentina is derived from the Latin word "argentum," meaning silver. It originated in the region of Genoa, Italy, during the late medieval period. The name was likely adopted by individuals who worked in the silver trade or resided in areas known for silver mining.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Argentina can be found in the Codice Diplomatico della Repubblica di Genova, a collection of historical documents from the Republic of Genoa, dating back to the 13th century. The name appears in a contract between a merchant and a silversmith.

In the 14th century, the Argentina family was prominent in the city of Genoa. Guglielmo Argentina, born in 1320, was a renowned banker and financier who played a significant role in the economic affairs of the republic.

During the Renaissance, the name spread to other parts of Italy and Europe. Ludovico Argentina, born in 1475 in Milan, was a celebrated painter and architect who contributed to the design of several churches and palaces in the city.

In the 16th century, the Argentina family established itself in Spain, where the name was sometimes spelled Argentia or Argentino. One notable figure was Gaspar de Argentia, a Spanish explorer and navigator who accompanied Ferdinand Magellan on his historic voyage around the world in the early 1500s.

The name Argentina also found its way to the New World, where it was adopted by some Spanish colonists in the Americas. Juan de Argentina, born in 1580 in Seville, Spain, was a soldier and conquistador who participated in the conquest of Chile and later became a prominent landowner in the region.

Another notable figure was Bartolomé Argentina, born in 1620 in Buenos Aires, a criollo (Spanish-born in the Americas) who played a significant role in the defense of the city against Portuguese invasions in the late 17th century.

While the name Argentina is not as common today as it once was, it remains a part of the cultural heritage of Italy, Spain, and the Spanish-speaking regions of the Americas, reflecting the historical connections between these regions and the silver trade.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Argentina

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

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 Argentina 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 Argentina 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 Argentina was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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