2000
#53,299
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 364
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.13
Very Rare Last name
Latina
A surname denoting someone from Latin America or having Latin American ancestry.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 568 Americans carry the last name Latina. That puts it at #46,403 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.17 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 603,441 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Latina surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
568
1 in 603,441
Census rank
#46,403
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
495
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 495 bearers of the surname Latina in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.17 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 46403rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Latina, the largest self-reported group is White at 58.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (32.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (6.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Latina
The surname Latina originates from Italy, specifically the region of Lazio. It is believed to have derived from the Latin word "Latinus," which refers to the ancient people of Latium, the area surrounding Rome. The earliest recorded instances of the name date back to the 11th century.
One of the earliest mentions of the Latina name can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Cavensis, a collection of medieval documents from the Cava de' Tirreni monastery in Campania, Italy. The document, dated 1047, refers to a certain "Petrus Latina."
In the 13th century, the name appeared in various records from the Papal States, such as the Liber Censuum, which recorded taxes owed to the Holy See. A notable entry is that of "Iohannes Latina de Anagni," a resident of Anagni, a town in the province of Frosinone.
During the Renaissance period, the Latina family gained prominence in Rome. One of the most notable members was Cosimo Latina (1515-1592), a renowned architect who worked on several important projects in the city, including the Palazzo dei Conservatori and the Palazzo Nuovo.
Another notable figure was Girolamo Latina (1476-1557), a humanist scholar and author who served as a secretary to Pope Leo X. He is best known for his work "De Antiquitatibus Latinis," which explored the history and culture of ancient Rome.
In the 18th century, the Latina name appeared in the records of the Kingdom of Naples. Luigi Latina (1733-1803) was a notable jurist and academic who served as a professor of law at the University of Naples.
The surname Latina also has links to place names within Italy. For instance, the town of Latina, located in the province of Latina, Lazio, was founded in the 1930s as part of a land reclamation project. However, the name itself predates the town's establishment.
Throughout history, the Latina surname has been associated with various noble families, scholars, artists, and professionals, reflecting the rich cultural heritage of Italy and the enduring influence of the Latin language and Roman civilization.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Latina
Among Census respondents with the surname Latina, the largest self-reported group is White at 58.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (32.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (6.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Latina bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Latina surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White58.2% · 288
- Hispanic or Latino32.7% · 162
- Asian and Pacific Islander6.9% · 34
- Two or more races1.4% · 7
- Black or African American0.8% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Latina
Latina appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#57,101
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 357
-7 bearers (-1.9%)
Per 100,000 0.12
Rank movement Down 3,802 places
2020
#46,403
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 495
+138 bearers (+38.7%)
Per 100,000 0.17
Rank movement Up 10,698 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #53,299 | 364 | 0.13 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #57,101 | 357 | 0.12 | -7 bearers (-1.9%) | Down 3,802 places |
| 2020 | #46,403 | 495 | 0.17 | +138 bearers (+38.7%) | Up 10,698 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Latina surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #57,101 | #46,403 | 18.7% |
| Count | 357 | 495 | 38.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.12 | 0.17 | 38.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Latina bearers went from 357 to 495 (+38.7% change). The surname moved up 10,698 positions in the national ranking, going from #57,101 to #46,403.
FAQ
Latina surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Latina?
Name Census estimates that about 568 living Americans carry the surname Latina. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 603,441 residents.
How common is Latina?
Latina ranks #46,403 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.17 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 495 people with the surname Latina. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (568), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.17 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.17 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Latina.
Has Latina become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Latina went from 357 recorded bearers to 495. That is an increase of 138 (+38.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #57,101 to #46,403.
What does the Census say about the background of Latina?
Among Census respondents with the surname Latina, the largest self-reported group is White at 58.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (32.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (6.9%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Latina in the 2020 Census, accounting for 58.2% (288 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Latina appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (58.2%), Hispanic (32.7%), Asian/Pacific Islander (6.9%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Latina (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Latina mean?
A surname denoting someone from Latin America or having Latin American ancestry. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Latina (0.17 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How common is the surname Latina?
See how many Americans have the surname Latina on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.