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

Minerva, 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 Minerva surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Minerva in America

Minerva is the 33810th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Minerva surname appeared 673 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 Minerva.

We can also compare 2010 data for Minerva 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 Minerva

The surname Minerva is believed to have originated in Italy. It is derived from the Roman goddess of wisdom, Minerva, who was also the goddess of war, the arts, and sciences. The name has its roots in the Latin word "mens," which means mind or intellect.

The earliest recorded use of the surname Minerva dates back to the 13th century in regions such as Tuscany and Umbria. It was often given as a surname to those who exhibited intelligence, creativity, or skill in various fields, reflecting the attributes associated with the goddess.

In ancient Rome, Minerva was one of the most revered deities, and her name appeared in numerous texts and inscriptions. The Minerva Medica, a temple dedicated to the goddess, was located on the Esquiline Hill in Rome, and it was a center for healing and medical practices.

One of the earliest known individuals with the surname Minerva was Giovanni Minerva, a Italian painter born in Urbino in the late 15th century. He was known for his religious works and contributed to the decoration of several churches in the region.

During the Renaissance period, the name gained prominence with figures like Girolamo Minerva, an Italian humanist and scholar born in 1492 in Venosa. He was widely respected for his knowledge of classical literature and his contributions to the study of ancient texts.

In the 17th century, Gian Domenico Minerva, an Italian composer and organist born in 1635 in Naples, became renowned for his sacred music compositions and his work as the organist at the Cappella del Tesoro di San Gennaro.

Another notable figure was Pietro Minerva, an Italian architect and engineer born in 1772 in Palermo. He was responsible for designing several important buildings and infrastructure projects in Sicily during the late 18th and early 19th centuries.

In the 20th century, Luciano Minerva, an Italian film director and screenwriter born in 1909 in Rome, gained recognition for his contributions to Italian cinema, particularly in the neorealist movement of the post-World War II era.

While the surname Minerva has its roots in Italy, it has since spread to other parts of the world, often retaining its connection to intellectual and artistic pursuits.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Minerva

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

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

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

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