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

Destra, 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 Destra surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Destra in America

Destra is the 108734th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Destra surname appeared 163 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 Destra.

We can also compare 2010 data for Destra 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 Destra

The surname DESTRA is of Italian origin and can be traced back to the 14th century. It is believed to have originated in the regions of Tuscany and Emilia-Romagna, particularly in the cities of Florence and Bologna.

The name is derived from the Italian word "destra," which means "right" or "right-hand side." It is likely that the surname was initially given to someone who was right-handed or lived on the right side of a street, village, or town.

Some early records suggest that the name may have been associated with the political factions of the Guelfs and Ghibellines in medieval Italy. The Guelfs were supporters of the papacy, while the Ghibellines were imperial supporters. It is possible that the name DESTRA was given to those who aligned themselves with the Guelfs, as the term "destra" was sometimes used to refer to the group.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname DESTRA can be found in the Florentine tax records of the late 14th century, where a certain Jacopo di Destra is mentioned. In the 15th century, a prominent Bolognese family called the Destri appeared in historical documents, suggesting a slightly different spelling of the name.

Noteworthy individuals with the surname DESTRA include Giovanni Battista Destra (1524-1592), an Italian painter and architect from Bergamo; Simone Destra (1617-1692), a Baroque painter from Bologna; and Francesco Destra (1679-1741), an Italian sculptor and architect who worked primarily in Rome.

In the 19th century, a notable figure with the surname DESTRA was Giuseppe Destra (1818-1892), an Italian politician and lawyer from Naples who served as a deputy in the Italian parliament during the early years of the unified Kingdom of Italy.

Another significant bearer of the name was Vittorio Destra (1865-1938), an Italian poet and literary critic from Trieste, who was a prominent figure in the Symbolist movement and a member of the prestigious Accademia d'Italia.

While the surname DESTRA is not as common as some other Italian surnames, it has a rich history spanning several centuries and is associated with various artistic, political, and literary figures from different regions of Italy.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Destra

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

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

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

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