Find out how popular the last name Giarratana is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Giarratana.
A place surname originating in Italy, likely derived from the town of Giarratana.
Giarratana, 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 Giarratana surname is from the 2010 census data.
Giarratana is the 69996th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.
The Giarratana surname appeared 280 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 Giarratana.
We can also compare 2010 data for Giarratana 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.
2010 | 2000 | Change (%) | |
---|---|---|---|
Rank | 69996 | 68569 | 2.06% |
Count | 280 | 268 | 4.38% |
Proportion per 100k | 0.09 | 0.10 | -10.53% |
The surname Giarratana is of Italian origin, specifically from the region of Sicily. It is believed to have originated in the medieval era, around the 11th or 12th century. The name is derived from the town of Giarratana, located in the province of Ragusa, southeastern Sicily.
The etymology of Giarratana is rooted in Arabic, reflecting the influence of the Moorish occupation of Sicily during the 9th to 11th centuries. The name is thought to be derived from the Arabic words "jarrāh" meaning "surgeon" or "healer" and "tana" meaning "oven" or "furnace," suggesting a connection to the profession of a surgeon or a place with furnaces or ovens.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Giarratana can be found in the "Codice Diplomatico della Sicilia," a collection of medieval Sicilian documents dating back to the 11th century. In these records, the name appears in various spellings, such as "Giarratana," "Jarratana," and "Garratana."
The surname Giarratana has been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. In the 16th century, Vincenzo Giarratana (1520-1588) was a renowned Sicilian architect and engineer known for his work on fortifications and hydraulic systems. Another prominent figure was the Italian philosopher and theologian Tommaso Giarratana (1648-1722), who contributed to the intellectual discourse of his time.
During the 18th century, the Giarratana family played a significant role in the cultural and political spheres of Sicily. Giuseppe Giarratana (1718-1792) was a respected poet and author, while his brother, Francesco Giarratana (1724-1798), served as a high-ranking official in the Sicilian government.
In the 19th century, the Giarratana name gained prominence with the birth of Gaetano Giarratana (1829-1903), a renowned Sicilian painter and sculptor. His works were widely acclaimed and can be found in various museums and galleries across Italy.
One of the most notable figures in the 20th century was the Italian novelist and screenwriter Leonardo Giarratana (1918-1992), whose literary works explored themes of social injustice and the struggles of the working class in Sicily.
While the surname Giarratana has its roots in Sicily, it has since spread to other parts of Italy and beyond, carried by individuals who have contributed to various fields throughout history.
We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Giarratana.
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:
For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Giarratana was:
Race/Ethnicity | Percentage | Total Occurrences |
---|---|---|
Non-Hispanic White Only | 97.50% | 273 |
Non-Hispanic Black Only | 0.00% | 0 |
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only | 0.00% | 0 |
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.00% | 0 |
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races | 0.00% | 0 |
Hispanic Origin | 2.50% | 7 |
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 Giarratana has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.
2010 | 2000 | Change (%) | |
---|---|---|---|
White | 97.50% | 97.76% | -0.27% |
Black | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
Asian and Pacific Islander | 0.00% | (S)% | (S)% |
American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
Two or More Races | 0.00% | (S)% | (S)% |
Hispanic | 2.50% | (S)% | (S)% |
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 Giarratana was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.
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<a href="http://namecensus.com/last-names/giarratana-surname-popularity/">Giarratana last name popularity, history, and meaning</a>
"Giarratana last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on July 5, 2025. http://namecensus.com/last-names/giarratana-surname-popularity/.
"Giarratana last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/giarratana-surname-popularity/. Accessed 5 July, 2025
Giarratana last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/giarratana-surname-popularity/.
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