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

Molena, 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 Molena surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Molena in America

Molena is the 75317th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Molena surname appeared 256 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 Molena.

We can also compare 2010 data for Molena 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 Molena

The surname MOLENA is of Italian origin, with its roots traced back to the northern regions of Italy, particularly in the areas around Venice and Padua, during the late medieval period.

MOLENA is believed to have derived from the Italian word "molino," which means "mill." This suggests that the name may have been initially associated with individuals who owned or operated mills, likely for grinding grains or processing other agricultural products.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the MOLENA surname can be found in the Venetian archives from the 13th century, where a certain Giacomo Molena was mentioned as a landowner and mill operator in the city of Padua.

In the 14th century, the name MOLENA appeared in several historical records, including the "Libro d'Oro" of the Venetian Republic, which documented the noble families of the region. This suggests that the MOLENA surname had gained some prominence and social standing during this period.

Notable individuals bearing the MOLENA surname include:

1. Girolamo Molena (1531-1609), a renowned Venetian architect and engineer who was responsible for the design and construction of several landmark buildings in Venice, including the Palazzo Pesaro.

2. Antonio Molena (1675-1744), an Italian painter and engraver from Padua, known for his religious works and portraiture.

3. Tommaso Molena (1803-1871), an Italian politician and lawyer who served as a member of the Venetian Parliament during the mid-19th century.

4. Adriana Molena (1858-1932), an Italian opera singer and vocal pedagogue, acclaimed for her performances in various opera houses across Europe.

5. Enrico Molena (1904-1981), an Italian architect and urban planner, renowned for his contributions to the reconstruction and urban development of Venice after World War II.

While the MOLENA surname originated in Italy, it has since spread to other parts of Europe and beyond, with variations in spelling and pronunciation emerging over time, reflecting the linguistic influences of different regions and cultures.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Molena

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

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

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