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

Masada, 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 Masada surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Masada in America

Masada is the 119508th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Masada surname appeared 145 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 Masada.

We can also compare 2010 data for Masada 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 Masada

The surname "Masada" is believed to have its origins in the Middle East, specifically in the region of ancient Israel. The name is derived from the Hebrew word "metzadah," which means "fortress" or "stronghold." It is closely associated with the famous ancient Jewish fortification of Masada, located in the Judean Desert of present-day Israel.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name "Masada" can be found in the writings of the ancient Roman-Jewish historian Josephus, who documented the siege and eventual fall of the Masada fortress during the First Jewish-Roman War in the 1st century CE. Josephus provided a detailed account of the events that unfolded at Masada, where a group of Jewish rebels held out against the Roman legions for nearly three years before ultimately committing mass suicide rather than surrendering.

The name "Masada" gained significant historical significance due to its association with this tragic event, which has become a symbol of Jewish resistance and defiance against oppression. Over the centuries, the name has been adopted as a surname by Jewish families, particularly those with ancestry in the region of ancient Israel.

One notable individual who bore the surname "Masada" was Rabbi Yitzhak Masada, a prominent Jewish scholar and kabbalist who lived in the 16th century. He was born in Safed, a city in the Galilee region of present-day Israel, and was known for his contributions to the study of Jewish mysticism and his teachings on the Zohar, a central text of Kabbalah.

Another individual of historical significance with the surname "Masada" was Yigal Masada, an Israeli military officer and intelligence agent who played a crucial role in the Mossad's intelligence operations during the 1960s and 1970s. He was involved in several high-profile operations, including the capture of Adolf Eichmann, one of the principal architects of the Holocaust.

In more recent times, the name "Masada" has been associated with individuals from various fields, such as Yisrael Masada, an Israeli author and journalist, and Ari Masada, a Japanese-Israeli journalist and television personality who has worked extensively in both countries.

While the surname "Masada" may not be as common as some other Jewish surnames, its historical significance and connection to the ancient Masada fortress have made it a significant part of Jewish cultural heritage and identity.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Masada

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

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

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

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