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

Rada, 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 Rada surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Rada in America

Rada is the 12339th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Rada surname appeared 2,520 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Rada.

We can also compare 2010 data for Rada 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 Rada

The surname "RADA" is believed to have originated in the Balkan region of Southeastern Europe, specifically in modern-day Croatia and Serbia. It likely derives from the Slavic word "rad," meaning "glad" or "joyful," suggesting that the name may have been initially given as a descriptive nickname or occupational name for someone with a cheerful or pleasant demeanor.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name "RADA" can be found in medieval Croatian records from the 13th century, where it appeared as "Rada" or "Radić." These early mentions often referred to individuals from the region around the city of Dubrovnik, which was a prominent maritime republic at the time.

In the 14th century, the name "RADA" was also documented in Serbian records, particularly in the region of Vojvodina, which was then part of the Kingdom of Hungary. The name appeared in various forms, such as "Rada," "Radić," and "Radojević," indicating its widespread use among Serbs.

During the Ottoman period, the name "RADA" continued to be prevalent in the Balkans, particularly in areas under Ottoman rule. Some notable historical figures with this surname include:

1. Miloš Rada (1558-1628), a Serbian Orthodox priest and writer who authored several religious texts and translations.
2. Pavle Rada (1827-1890), a Serbian painter and one of the pioneers of Serbian Realist painting.
3. Jovan Rada (1826-1905), a Serbian politician and writer who served as the Minister of Education and Church Affairs in the Kingdom of Serbia.

As the Balkans underwent various political and cultural changes throughout history, the name "RADA" spread to other regions, including parts of modern-day Romania and Hungary. In some areas, the name evolved into slightly different spellings, such as "Radă" or "Radó."

One notable individual with this surname from a different region was Konstantin Rada (1770-1808), a Romanian painter and engraver who is considered one of the founders of modern Romanian art.

While the name "RADA" has its roots in the Balkans, it has since become more widespread and can be found in various parts of the world due to migration and diaspora communities. However, its origins and earliest recorded instances trace back to the Slavic-speaking populations of Southeastern Europe, where it has a long and rich history.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Rada

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

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

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

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