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

Malaspina, 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 Malaspina surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Malaspina in America

Malaspina is the 57372nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Malaspina surname appeared 355 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 Malaspina.

We can also compare 2010 data for Malaspina 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 Malaspina

The surname Malaspina originates from Italy, tracing its roots back to the medieval era. It is believed to have derived from the Italian place name "Malaspina," referring to a castle located in the region of Lunigiana, situated between the provinces of Massa and Carrara. The name is thought to stem from the Latin words "mala spina," which translates to "bad thorn" or "prickly bush," likely describing the rugged terrain surrounding the castle.

The Malaspina family was a prominent noble dynasty that held significant power and influence in northern Italy during the Middle Ages. Their name appears in various historical documents and records from the 12th century onwards. One of the earliest recorded mentions of the Malaspina name can be found in the "Codice Pelavicino," a 12th-century manuscript detailing the history of the area.

In the 13th century, the Malaspina family played a crucial role in the political landscape of the region. Notable figures from this era include Obizzone Malaspina (c. 1220-1293), a military leader and diplomat, and Dante Alighieri (1265-1321), the renowned Italian poet who famously mentioned the Malaspina family in his masterpiece, "The Divine Comedy."

During the Renaissance period, the Malaspina surname continued to be associated with prominent individuals. One such figure was Ricordano Malaspina (c. 1450-1508), a humanist scholar and writer who authored several works on history and philosophy. Another notable Malaspina was Tommaso Malaspina (c. 1490-1550), a highly skilled architect and engineer who contributed to the design and construction of various fortifications and buildings throughout Italy.

In the 18th century, the Malaspina name gained international recognition through the explorations of Alessandro Malaspina (1754-1810), an Italian navigator and explorer who led a scientific expedition around the world on behalf of the Spanish crown. His voyage, known as the Malaspina Expedition, made significant contributions to the fields of cartography, natural history, and anthropology.

Other notable individuals bearing the Malaspina surname include Riccardo Malaspina (1837-1909), an Italian politician and economist who served as the Minister of Finance in the late 19th century, and Maria Malaspina (1899-1999), a renowned Italian painter and sculptor who was part of the Futurist movement.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Malaspina

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

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

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

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