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

Merlina, 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 Merlina surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Merlina in America

Merlina is the 115639th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Merlina surname appeared 151 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 Merlina.

We can also compare 2010 data for Merlina 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 Merlina

The surname Merlina has its origins in Italy, with the earliest records dating back to the 13th century. It is derived from the Italian word "merlino," which means "a small blackbird" or "a merlin falcon." The name likely originated as a nickname for someone who resembled a blackbird or had a keen, falcon-like gaze.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Merlina can be found in a Sicilian manuscript from 1265, which mentions a nobleman named Guglielmo Merlina. In the 14th century, the name appears in various Venetian records, suggesting that the Merlina family may have had ties to the powerful maritime republic.

During the Renaissance period, the Merlina surname was associated with several notable figures in the arts and sciences. Francesco Merlina (1456-1524) was a renowned painter from Verona, whose works can be found in churches and galleries throughout Italy. Another notable bearer of the name was Giulio Merlina (1501-1578), a mathematician and astronomer from Padua, who made significant contributions to the study of celestial mechanics.

In the 17th century, the Merlina family established itself in the region of Calabria, where they became prominent landowners and merchants. One of the most prominent members of this branch was Tommaso Merlina (1629-1702), a wealthy merchant and philanthropist who funded the construction of several churches and hospitals in the city of Reggio Calabria.

As the Merlina family spread throughout Italy, the surname underwent various spelling variations, such as Merlino, Merlini, and Merlin. One notable bearer of the latter variation was the 18th-century composer Giacomo Merlin (1728-1804), whose operas and instrumental works were highly acclaimed in his time.

Another significant figure with the Merlina surname was Giovanna Merlina (1812-1892), a pioneering educator and advocate for women's rights. She founded one of the first schools for girls in Naples and worked tirelessly to promote education and gender equality in a time when such efforts were met with significant resistance.

Throughout its long history, the Merlina surname has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including artists, scholars, merchants, and activists, all of whom have contributed to the rich tapestry of Italian culture and society.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Merlina

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!