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

Messana, 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 Messana surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Messana in America

Messana is the 43438th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Messana surname appeared 497 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 Messana.

We can also compare 2010 data for Messana 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 Messana

The surname Messana has its origins in Italy, specifically in the region of Sicily. The name is believed to have derived from the city of Messina, which was known as Messana in ancient times. This city has a rich history dating back to the 8th century BC when it was founded by Greek colonists from the Chalcidian city of Cumae.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname Messana can be traced back to the 11th century, when it appeared in various medieval documents and records from the region of Sicily. During this time period, it was not uncommon for individuals to adopt surnames based on their place of origin or residence, which could explain the emergence of the Messana surname.

In the 13th century, the name Messana appeared in the Sicilian Vespers, a significant historical event that marked the beginning of the Aragonese rule over the island of Sicily. This event was documented in various chronicles and manuscripts from that era, which may have included references to individuals bearing the Messana surname.

One notable individual with the surname Messana was Pietro Messana, a 16th-century Sicilian jurist and legal scholar. He was born in Messina in 1521 and gained recognition for his contributions to the field of law, particularly in the areas of civil and ecclesiastical jurisprudence.

Another historical figure was Giovanni Messana, a Sicilian painter who lived during the 17th century. He was born in Messina in 1598 and is known for his religious and historical paintings, many of which can be found in churches and galleries across Sicily.

In the 18th century, Vincenzo Messana was a prominent architect and engineer from Messina. He was born in 1733 and played a significant role in the reconstruction efforts after the devastating earthquake that struck the city in 1783.

The surname Messana can also be found in older place names and toponyms related to the city of Messina. For example, the Strait of Messina, which separates the island of Sicily from the Italian mainland, was historically referred to as the Faro di Messana or the Faro di Messina.

Another individual of note was Giuseppe Messana, a 19th-century Sicilian poet and playwright. He was born in Messina in 1820 and is recognized for his contributions to the literary and cultural scene of his time, particularly through his works that celebrated the beauty and traditions of Sicily.

Throughout its history, the surname Messana has been associated with various prominent figures and events, reflecting the rich cultural and historical heritage of the city of Messina and the surrounding region of Sicily.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Messana

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

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

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Messana, 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!