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

Cristea, 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 Cristea surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Cristea in America

Cristea is the 50851st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Cristea surname appeared 410 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 Cristea.

We can also compare 2010 data for Cristea 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 Cristea

The surname Cristea originates from Romania and can be traced back to the 16th century. It is derived from the Romanian word "Cristea," which is a diminutive form of the name "Cristos," meaning "Christ." The name likely originated from areas of present-day Romania, particularly in regions where Eastern Orthodox Christianity was prevalent.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Cristea can be found in the historical records of the Principality of Wallachia, a Romanian state that existed during the Middle Ages. In the 17th century, a document dated 1632 mentions a nobleman named Cristea Buzescu, who served as a high-ranking official in the court of Prince Matei Basarab.

Another notable figure bearing the surname Cristea was Alexandru Cristea, a Romanian Orthodox bishop who lived from 1864 to 1946. He served as the Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church from 1923 until his death, playing a significant role in the church's affairs during the interwar period.

In the late 19th century, a Romanian writer and journalist named Ion Cristea (1878-1937) made a name for himself through his literary works and contributions to the country's cultural scene. He was also actively involved in the Romanian labor movement and advocated for workers' rights.

During the 20th century, the surname Cristea gained further recognition with the accomplishments of individuals like Gheorghe Cristea (1901-1984), a renowned Romanian sculptor whose works can be found in various public spaces and museums across the country.

Another notable individual was Miron Cristea (1938-2012), a highly respected Romanian politician who served as the Prime Minister of Romania from 1975 to 1979. He played a significant role in the country's governance during the later years of the communist regime.

While the surname Cristea is predominantly found in Romania, it has also been carried by individuals in other parts of the world due to migration and diaspora. However, its roots can be traced back to the historical regions of present-day Romania, where it has been a part of the cultural and societal fabric for several centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Cristea

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

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

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

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