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

Messina, 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 Messina surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Messina in America

Messina is the 2833rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Messina surname appeared 12,717 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 4 people would have the surname Messina.

We can also compare 2010 data for Messina 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 Messina

The surname Messina is of Italian origin, derived from the name of the city of Messina, which is located on the island of Sicily. The city's name is thought to come from the ancient Greek word "Messene," meaning "in the middle" or "in the center," reflecting its location in the middle of the Strait of Messina.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname Messina can be traced back to the 12th century in various Italian documents and records. It is believed that the surname was initially adopted by individuals who either lived in or had some connection to the city of Messina.

One of the earliest known bearers of the surname Messina was Guido Messina, a Sicilian nobleman who lived in the 13th century. He is mentioned in several historical records from that time period, including a document dated 1256 that references his role in a local dispute.

Another notable figure with the surname Messina was Pietro Messina, a Sicilian painter who lived in the 15th century. He is best known for his religious paintings and altarpieces, which can be found in various churches and museums throughout Italy.

In the 16th century, the name Messina appears in several chronicles and records related to the Spanish conquest of Sicily. One such record mentions a soldier named Girolamo Messina, who fought against the Spanish forces during the 1516 rebellion in Messina.

During the 17th century, the surname Messina was associated with several members of the Sicilian nobility. One notable example is Giuseppe Messina, who was born in 1632 and served as a high-ranking official in the Sicilian government.

In the 18th century, the name Messina gained prominence with the birth of Filippo Messina (1731-1799), a renowned Sicilian sculptor and architect. He is best known for his work on several churches and palaces in Messina and other parts of Sicily.

Other notable individuals with the surname Messina include Antonio Messina (1845-1920), an Italian painter known for his landscape and genre scenes, and Francesco Messina (1900-1995), a Sicilian-American linguist and author who wrote extensively on the history and culture of Sicily.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Messina

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

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

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

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