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

Mezzatesta, 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 Mezzatesta surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Mezzatesta in America

Mezzatesta is the 75069th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Mezzatesta surname appeared 257 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 Mezzatesta.

We can also compare 2010 data for Mezzatesta 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 Mezzatesta

The surname Mezzatesta originates from Italy, specifically in the southern regions of Campania and Calabria. It likely emerged during the medieval period, around the 11th or 12th century. The name is derived from the Italian words "mezza" meaning "half" and "testa" meaning "head," suggesting a potential connection to a physical characteristic or a nickname associated with an ancestor.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Mezzatesta can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Cavensis, a collection of medieval documents from the Cava de' Tirreni region in Campania. This collection dates back to the 9th century and includes references to individuals bearing the surname.

In the 14th century, a prominent figure named Giovanni Mezzatesta was a renowned jurist and professor of law at the University of Naples. He was highly respected for his legal expertise and contributed significantly to the development of jurisprudence in the region.

During the Renaissance period, the name Mezzatesta appeared in various artistic and literary works. Notably, a fresco depicting a family with the surname Mezzatesta can be found in the Church of San Domenico Maggiore in Naples, dating back to the 16th century.

In the 18th century, a renowned philosopher and theologian named Tommaso Mezzatesta made significant contributions to the intellectual discourse of his time. Born in Calabria in 1721, he authored several treatises on metaphysics and the nature of the human soul, which garnered widespread recognition.

Another notable individual with the surname Mezzatesta was Vincenzo Mezzatesta, a military officer who served in the Napoleonic Wars. Born in Naples in 1785, he rose through the ranks and became a highly decorated general, known for his bravery and strategic acumen in numerous battles across Europe.

As the name Mezzatesta spread throughout Italy, it also found its way to other parts of the world through migration. For instance, in the late 19th century, several families bearing the surname settled in Argentina, where their descendants continue to carry on the legacy of this historic Italian name.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Mezzatesta

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

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

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