Para last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Para

An Italian surname derived from the Latin word referring to someone who is prepared or ready.

Para, 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 Para surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Para in America

Para is the 22281st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Para surname appeared 1,157 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 Para.

We can also compare 2010 data for Para 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.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 22281 21638 2.93%
Count 1,157 1,123 2.98%
Proportion per 100k 0.39 0.42 -7.41%

The history of the last name Para

The surname PARA originated in Italy during the late medieval period, around the 13th or 14th century. It is believed to have derived from the Italian word "paro," meaning equal or peer, suggesting that the name may have been initially associated with individuals who held a position of authority or respect within their communities.

One of the earliest known references to the PARA surname can be found in the historic records of the city of Genoa, where a family bearing this name was mentioned in a document dated 1321. The name was also present in other parts of northern Italy, particularly in the regions of Lombardy and Piedmont.

In the 15th century, several notable individuals with the surname PARA emerged. One such figure was Giovanni PARA, a renowned architect from Milan who contributed to the design of several churches and palaces in the city during the Renaissance period. Another prominent PARA was Francesca PARA (1490-1555), a noblewoman from Genoa who was celebrated for her patronage of the arts and her support of local artists and poets.

As the PARA family expanded and migrated across Italy, variations in spelling and pronunciation emerged. Some of the alternative spellings included Parra, Parri, and Parri. These variations were often influenced by regional dialects and linguistic traditions.

In the 17th century, the PARA surname gained prominence in the city of Naples, where a prominent family of bankers and merchants bore this name. One member of this family, Antonio PARA (1620-1687), was a wealthy merchant who financed several maritime expeditions and trading ventures.

Over the centuries, the PARA surname has been associated with individuals from various walks of life, including scholars, artists, and politicians. One notable example is Cesare PARA (1835-1905), an Italian lawyer and politician who served as a member of the Italian Parliament during the late 19th century.

While the surname PARA is most commonly found in Italy, it has also been carried by individuals of Italian descent who have migrated to other parts of the world, including the Americas and Australia. However, the historical records and references provided in this report focus primarily on the surname's origins and early presence within Italy.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Para

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

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 Para was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 65.69% 760
Non-Hispanic Black Only 0.86% 10
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only 3.54% 41
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.69% 8
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 0.78% 9
Hispanic Origin 28.44% 329

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 Para has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 65.69% 67.32% -2.45%
Black 0.86% 1.16% -29.70%
Asian and Pacific Islander 3.54% 2.67% 28.02%
American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.69% 0.45% 42.11%
Two or More Races 0.78% 1.87% -82.26%
Hispanic 28.44% 26.54% 6.91%

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

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

Reference this page

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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!

"Para last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on November 22, 2024. http://namecensus.com/last-names/para-surname-popularity/.

"Para last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/para-surname-popularity/. Accessed 22 November, 2024

Para last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/para-surname-popularity/.

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