Besana last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Besana

An Italian surname indicating origin in the town of Besana, likely deriving from the dialectal term for "lowlands".

Besana, 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 Besana surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Besana in America

Besana is the 126018th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Besana surname appeared 136 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 Besana.

The history of the last name Besana

The surname Besana is of Italian origin, and its roots can be traced back to the 12th century in the Lombardy region of northern Italy. It is believed to have originated from the place name Besana Brianza, a town located in the province of Monza e Brianza, near Milan.

The name Besana is likely derived from the Latin word "bis" (meaning twice) and "sana" (meaning healthy or sound), suggesting that the name may have initially been used to describe a location with a favorable climate or a place known for its healthy living conditions.

Historical records show that the surname Besana first appeared in the 13th century, with mentions of individuals bearing this name in various legal documents and land registries from that period. One of the earliest known references to the name can be found in a 1236 document from the Benedictine monastery of San Pietro in Besana Brianza.

In the 14th century, a notable figure with the surname Besana was Giovanni Besana, a prominent lawyer and notary who served in the court of Gian Galeazzo Visconti, the first Duke of Milan. Giovanni Besana played a crucial role in drafting legal documents and treaties during his time (born around 1350, died in the early 15th century).

Another significant individual was Francesco Besana, a 16th-century painter and architect who worked on various religious buildings and commissioned artwork in Milan and the surrounding areas (born around 1510, died in the late 16th century).

In the 17th century, Giambattista Besana (born in 1622, died in 1688) was a renowned Milanese architect and sculptor who contributed to the design and construction of several churches and palaces in the region.

Moving into the 18th century, Carlo Besana (born in 1720, died in 1798) was a notable Italian composer and musician who composed operas and sacred music during his lifetime.

In the 19th century, Giuseppe Besana (born in 1821, died in 1899) was a prominent Italian politician and lawyer who served as a senator in the Kingdom of Italy and played a significant role in shaping legal reforms during the unification of Italy.

Over the centuries, the surname Besana has been linked to various professions, including law, architecture, art, music, and politics, reflecting the diverse contributions of individuals bearing this name to Italian society and culture.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Besana

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

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 Besana was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 24.26% 33
Non-Hispanic Black Only (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only 69.12% 94
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.00% 0
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 4.41% 6
Hispanic Origin (S)% (S)

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.

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

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

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"Besana last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on December 22, 2024. http://namecensus.com/last-names/besana-surname-popularity/.

"Besana last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/besana-surname-popularity/. Accessed 22 December, 2024

Besana last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/besana-surname-popularity/.

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