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

Pelina, 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 Pelina surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Pelina in America

Pelina is the 156044th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Pelina surname appeared 104 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 Pelina.

We can also compare 2010 data for Pelina 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 Pelina

The surname "PELINA" is believed to have originated from the Iberian Peninsula, specifically in the region of Portugal. It is thought to derive from an Old Portuguese word, "pelinha," which translates to "little fur" or "small wool." This suggests that the name may have initially been associated with individuals involved in the wool or textile trade during the medieval period.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname "PELINA" can be traced back to the 13th century in various Portuguese administrative records and chronicles. One notable mention is found in the "Livro Velho de Linhagens" (Old Book of Lineages), a genealogical document compiled in the late 13th century, which includes references to individuals bearing this surname.

In the 15th century, a certain Afonso Pelina was documented as a prominent merchant and landowner in the city of Porto, Portugal. His descendants continued to carry the surname, and some of them migrated to other parts of Europe and the Americas during the Age of Exploration and subsequent centuries.

Another notable figure with the surname "PELINA" was João Pelina, a renowned Portuguese painter who lived in the 16th century (c. 1530-1598). He was known for his religious works and contributed to the decoration of several churches and monasteries in Portugal.

During the colonial era, the surname "PELINA" found its way to Brazil and other Portuguese territories. In the 19th century, a certain José Pelina (1821-1890) was a prominent Brazilian journalist and writer, known for his advocacy of abolitionism and republicanism.

The surname "PELINA" also appears in historical records from Spain, where it may have been adopted by individuals of Portuguese descent or undergone slight variations in spelling, such as "Pelíña" or "Peliña."

While the surname "PELINA" is not among the most common surnames worldwide, it has left its mark in various historical contexts, particularly in the Iberian Peninsula and its former colonies. The name's origins and associations with the wool or textile industry offer a glimpse into the occupations and lives of those who bore it throughout the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Pelina

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

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

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

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