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

Cresta, 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 Cresta surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Cresta in America

Cresta is the 49365th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Cresta surname appeared 426 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 Cresta.

We can also compare 2010 data for Cresta 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 Cresta

The surname Cresta is believed to have originated in Italy. It is thought to be derived from the Italian word "cresta," meaning "crest" or "ridge." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived near a prominent crest or ridge in the landscape.

The earliest recorded instances of the Cresta surname can be traced back to the 13th century in regions such as Tuscany and Umbria. Some of the earliest known individuals with this surname include Giacomo Cresta, a merchant from Florence who lived in the late 1200s, and Pietro Cresta, a landowner from Perugia in the mid-1300s.

During the Renaissance period, the Cresta family gained prominence in various Italian cities. One notable figure was Giovanni Cresta (1490-1572), a renowned painter and architect from Siena who was commissioned to design several churches and palaces in his hometown.

In the 17th century, the Cresta name appeared in historical records in other parts of Italy, including the Kingdom of Naples. Vincenzo Cresta (1620-1705) was a respected jurist and legal scholar who served as a judge in the Supreme Court of Naples.

As the Cresta family spread across Italy and beyond, variations in spelling emerged, such as Cresti, Crestani, and Crestani. In the late 18th century, a branch of the Cresta family settled in the Piedmont region, where they established themselves as prominent winemakers. One of their most famous members was Giuseppe Cresta (1765-1839), whose vineyards produced some of the finest wines in northern Italy.

Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals with the surname Cresta. These include the Italian composer and conductor Gaetano Cresta (1820-1892), the Uruguayan politician and diplomat Julio Cresta (1866-1938), and the Argentine writer and poet Rómulo Cresta (1901-1974).

While the Cresta surname is most commonly associated with Italy, it has also been found in other parts of Europe and the Americas, likely due to migration patterns over the centuries. However, its origins can be traced back to the Italian peninsula, where it first emerged as a testament to the geographical features that shaped the landscapes inhabited by its earliest bearers.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Cresta

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

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

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

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