Regina last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Regina

An Italian surname derived from the Latin word for "queen".

Regina, 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 Regina surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Regina in America

Regina is the 17202nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Regina surname appeared 1,646 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 Regina.

We can also compare 2010 data for Regina 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 17202 16960 1.42%
Count 1,646 1,546 6.27%
Proportion per 100k 0.56 0.57 -1.77%

The history of the last name Regina

The surname REGINA has its origins in the Latin language, specifically deriving from the word "regina," which translates to "queen." This name was initially associated with individuals who held royal or noble status during the ancient Roman era.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname REGINA can be traced back to medieval Italy, where it was primarily used in regions such as Tuscany and Umbria. It is believed that the name was initially adopted by families who claimed descent from or had close ties to royalty or the nobility.

In the 13th century, the surname REGINA appeared in several historical records, including the Libro di Montaperti, a chronicle documenting the events of the Battle of Montaperti in 1260. This battle was fought between the Guelph and Ghibelline factions in the Italian city-state of Siena.

One notable individual who bore the surname REGINA was Giovanna Regina, a 14th-century Italian noblewoman from the city of Perugia. She was a prominent figure in the city's political and social circles and played a significant role in mediating conflicts between rival factions.

In the 15th century, the surname REGINA gained recognition in other parts of Europe, particularly in Spain and Portugal. One notable bearer of this name was Pedro Regina, a Spanish explorer who accompanied Christopher Columbus on his second voyage to the Americas in 1493.

As the surname REGINA spread across Europe, it also underwent various spelling variations, such as Reyna and Rainha, reflecting the local linguistic adaptations. For instance, in the 16th century, there was a notable Portuguese scholar and writer named Garcia de Resende Reyna, who was born in Évora in 1470 and died in 1536.

Over the centuries, the surname REGINA has been associated with several notable individuals from diverse fields. For example, in the 18th century, there was a renowned Italian artist named Pietro Regina, who was known for his exquisite frescoes and paintings adorning various churches and palaces in Rome.

Another prominent figure bearing the surname REGINA was Maria Regina, an Italian operatic soprano who gained fame in the early 19th century for her performances in operas by composers such as Rossini and Bellini. She was born in 1789 and died in 1856.

In the 20th century, the surname REGINA was carried by individuals like Alessandro Regina, an Italian actor and director who made significant contributions to the Italian cinema industry. He was born in 1909 and passed away in 1981.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Regina

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

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 Regina was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 74.18% 1,221
Non-Hispanic Black Only 2.98% 49
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only 2.92% 48
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.36% 6
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 0.73% 12
Hispanic Origin 18.83% 310

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

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 74.18% 80.85% -8.60%
Black 2.98% 2.72% 9.12%
Asian and Pacific Islander 2.92% 2.91% 0.34%
American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.36% 0.91% -86.61%
Two or More Races 0.73% 1.42% -64.19%
Hispanic 18.83% 11.19% 50.90%

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

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

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

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

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

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