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

Nina, 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 Nina surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Nina in America

Nina is the 28176th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Nina surname appeared 849 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 Nina.

We can also compare 2010 data for Nina 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 Nina

The surname NINA has its origins in the Iberian Peninsula, specifically in the regions of Spain and Portugal, where it emerged during the medieval period. It is derived from the Latin word "ninus," which means "child" or "little one." This suggests that the name may have initially been used as a nickname or a term of endearment for a child.

In its earliest recorded instances, the name appeared in various forms such as "Niño," "Nino," and "Ninna" in medieval Spanish and Portuguese documents. One of the earliest known records of the name dates back to the 11th century, when a nobleman named Fernán Niño was mentioned in a charter from the Kingdom of León.

The surname NINA gained prominence during the 15th and 16th centuries, particularly in the context of the Spanish exploration and colonization of the Americas. Notable figures with this surname include Pedro Niño (1455-1505), a Spanish explorer and conquistador who participated in the conquest of Puerto Rico and the exploration of the Caribbean.

Another prominent individual was Juan Niño de Guzmán (1470-1544), a Spanish conquistador who played a significant role in the conquest of Mexico and served as a lieutenant under Hernán Cortés. He was also appointed as the first governor of the province of Pánuco.

In the realm of literature, Gaspar Núñez de Arce (1834-1903) was a renowned Spanish poet, playwright, and politician who was a member of the Royal Spanish Academy and served as a deputy in the Spanish Parliament.

Moving to the 20th century, Anita Niño (1924-2020) was a celebrated Venezuelan painter and sculptor known for her vibrant and colorful works that captured the essence of her country's culture and traditions.

Lastly, José Niño Velásquez (1948-1992) was a Colombian drug lord and a prominent member of the Medellín Cartel, who played a significant role in the drug trafficking operations of Pablo Escobar's criminal organization.

It is important to note that while the surname NINA has its roots in the Iberian Peninsula, it has since spread to various parts of the world, particularly in Latin American countries, due to the Spanish and Portuguese colonial expansions.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Nina

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

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

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

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