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

Retana, 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 Retana surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Retana in America

Retana is the 8832nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Retana surname appeared 3,710 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 Retana.

We can also compare 2010 data for Retana 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 Retana

The surname Retana has its origins in Spain, with records dating back to the 13th century. The name is derived from the Spanish word "retaña," which means a type of broom plant or bush. It is believed that the surname was initially given to someone who lived near or worked with retaña plants.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Retana surname can be found in the "Repartimiento de Sevilla," a document from 1253 that recorded the distribution of land and property after the reconquest of Seville from the Moors. This document mentions individuals with the surname Retana, suggesting that the name was already established in southern Spain at that time.

In the 15th century, the Retana family was prominent in the region of Murcia, where they held significant land and influence. One notable member was Juan Retana, who served as a high-ranking military officer under the Catholic Monarchs during the Reconquista and the conquest of Granada in the late 15th century.

The surname Retana also appears in various historical records from other parts of Spain, including Catalonia and Aragon. In the 16th century, Miguel Retana, a nobleman from Zaragoza, was appointed as the governor of the Spanish colony of Santo Domingo in the Americas.

As the Spanish Empire expanded, the Retana surname spread to various parts of the Americas, particularly in Mexico and Central America. In the 19th century, José María Retana y Gamboa, a Guatemalan military officer and politician, played a significant role in the Central American independence movement.

Another notable figure with the Retana surname was Wenceslao Retana, a Spanish writer, journalist, and historian born in the Philippines in 1862. He was known for his works on Philippine history and culture, including the influential book "Aparato Bibliográfico de la Historia General de Filipinas."

Other individuals with the Retana surname include Rafael Retana, a Mexican painter and engraver active in the early 20th century, and Álvaro Retana, a Costa Rican politician and diplomat who served as the country's ambassador to the United Nations in the 1970s.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Retana

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

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

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

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