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

Fontana, 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 Fontana surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Fontana in America

Fontana is the 4615th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Fontana surname appeared 7,685 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Fontana.

We can also compare 2010 data for Fontana 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 Fontana

The surname Fontana originated in Italy during the medieval period. It is derived from the Italian word "fontana," meaning "fountain" or "spring." This name likely originated as a topographic name, referring to someone who lived near a spring or fountain.

The earliest recorded instances of the name Fontana can be found in historical records from various regions of Italy, including Tuscany, Lombardy, and Veneto. One of the earliest known bearers of this name was Orazio Fontana, an Italian painter and architect who lived from 1510 to 1571.

During the Renaissance period, the Fontana family produced several notable individuals. For example, Domenico Fontana (1543-1607) was an Italian architect who worked on the construction of St. Peter's Basilica in Rome and designed the famous Egyptian obelisk in St. Peter's Square.

Another prominent figure with the surname Fontana was Prospero Fontana (1512-1597), an Italian painter and engraver. He was known for his religious works and contributed to the decoration of several churches in Bologna.

In the 18th century, Felice Fontana (1730-1805) was an Italian naturalist and physician who made significant contributions to the study of physiology and anatomy. He conducted experiments on various animals and published important works on the nervous system.

During the 19th century, one of the most notable individuals with the surname Fontana was Gregorio Fontana (1816-1905), an Italian painter and sculptor. He was known for his religious and historical works, and his sculptures can be found in various churches and public spaces in Italy.

While the surname Fontana is primarily associated with Italy, it has also spread to other parts of the world due to migration. However, its origins can be traced back to the medieval period in Italy, where it was likely derived from the Italian word "fontana," referring to someone who lived near a spring or fountain.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Fontana

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

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

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

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