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

Petrarca, 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 Petrarca surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Petrarca in America

Petrarca is the 22000th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Petrarca surname appeared 1,179 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 Petrarca.

We can also compare 2010 data for Petrarca 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 Petrarca

The surname PETRARCA originated in Italy during the medieval period. It is derived from the Latin word "petra," meaning "rock" or "stone," and is believed to have been a descriptive surname initially given to someone who lived near a rocky area or quarry.

The name PETRARCA can be traced back to the 14th century when it was recorded in various documents from the regions of Tuscany and Umbria in central Italy. One of the earliest and most famous bearers of this surname was the renowned Italian scholar, poet, and humanist Francesco Petrarca, born in 1304 in Arezzo, Tuscany, and died in 1374 in Arquà, near Padua.

Petrarca's works, particularly his lyric poetry collection "Il Canzoniere" (The Song Book), had a profound influence on the Renaissance and the development of the Italian language. He is often referred to as the "Father of Humanism" and is considered one of the most influential figures of the Italian Renaissance.

Another notable figure with the surname PETRARCA was Gherardo Petrarca, born in 1293 in Incisa, Tuscany, and died in 1363. He was an Italian jurist and the elder brother of the famous poet Francesco Petrarca.

In the 15th century, the PETRARCA surname was also recorded in the town of Montefalco, Umbria, where a family of artists and architects bore this name. One of the most prominent members was Francesco di Vanni Petrarca, a painter active in the late 15th and early 16th centuries.

During the 16th century, the PETRARCA surname was found in various parts of Italy, including Venice, where a prominent family of merchants and bankers resided. One noteworthy member was Giulio Petrarca, born in 1548 in Venice, who served as a diplomat and ambassador for the Venetian Republic.

Throughout the centuries, the PETRARCA surname has been associated with notable individuals in various fields, including literature, art, law, and commerce, reflecting the cultural and intellectual heritage of Italy.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Petrarca

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

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

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

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