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

Papania, 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 Papania surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Papania in America

Papania is the 53913th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Papania surname appeared 383 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 Papania.

We can also compare 2010 data for Papania 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 Papania

The surname Papania originated in Sicily, Italy during the medieval period. It is believed to be derived from the Greek word "papas," meaning "father" or "priest." This suggests that the name may have initially been used to identify individuals who were members of the clergy or had a connection to a religious institution.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Papania can be found in the Sicilian town of Messina, where a family with this surname resided in the 13th century. Historical records from that time mention a certain Guglielmo Papania, who was a prominent merchant and landowner in the region.

During the Renaissance, the Papania family gained further prominence in Sicily. In the 15th century, a nobleman named Vincenzo Papania was appointed as the governor of the town of Caltagirone by the Spanish rulers of the Kingdom of Sicily. His son, Giovanni Papania, later served as a military commander during the Italian Wars between the Spanish Empire and the French.

As the Papania family expanded and migrated to other parts of Italy, variations in the spelling of the name emerged. Some of these variations include Papani, Papano, and Papaniu. Additionally, the name Papania shares similarities with the Italian word "papà," which means "father" or "dad."

Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the surname Papania. One such figure was Francesco Papania (1615-1690), a Sicilian painter who was renowned for his religious works and frescoes adorning churches in Palermo and other cities. Another prominent bearer of the name was Domenico Papania (1760-1834), a philosopher and writer who contributed to the Italian Enlightenment movement.

In more recent times, the Papania surname has been carried by individuals such as Giovanni Papania (1892-1977), an Italian politician and lawyer who served as a member of the Italian Parliament, and Maria Papania (1941-2018), a celebrated Sicilian actress and theater director known for her performances in both classical and contemporary plays.

Overall, the surname Papania has a rich history rooted in Sicily, with its origins potentially linked to the Greek word "papas" and its association with religious or clerical roles. Over the centuries, the name has been borne by individuals from various walks of life, including merchants, noblemen, artists, intellectuals, and political figures.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Papania

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

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

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

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