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

Safina, 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 Safina surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Safina in America

Safina is the 117480th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Safina surname appeared 148 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 Safina.

We can also compare 2010 data for Safina 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 Safina

The surname Safina originated in Sicily, Italy during the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Arabic word "safina," meaning "ship" or "vessel." This suggests that the name may have been given to someone who worked on ships or lived near the coast.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Safina can be found in the Sicilian archives from the 13th century. During this time, Sicily was under the rule of the Normans, and the island had a significant Arabic influence due to its proximity to North Africa and the previous Muslim rule.

In the late 15th century, a man named Giovanni Safina was mentioned in a document from the city of Palermo. He was a merchant who traded goods between Sicily and other Mediterranean ports. This provides evidence of the name's connection to maritime activities.

The name Safina also appears in several historical documents from the 16th and 17th centuries in Sicily. For example, a certain Vincenzo Safina was listed as a landowner in the town of Marsala in the year 1612.

One notable figure with the surname Safina was Antonio Safina, born in 1790 in Messina, Sicily. He was a renowned poet and playwright who contributed significantly to the Sicilian literary scene during the 19th century.

Another prominent individual with this surname was Giuseppe Safina, a Sicilian painter who lived from 1828 to 1892. He was known for his vibrant landscapes and seascapes, often depicting the coastal regions of his native island.

In the early 20th century, a man named Salvatore Safina, born in 1904 in Trapani, Sicily, became a respected historian and author. He wrote extensively about the history and culture of Sicily, particularly its Arabic influences.

Lastly, it is worth mentioning that the name Safina has been found in some historical records from other parts of Italy, such as Genoa and Naples, indicating that the name may have spread beyond its Sicilian roots over time.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Safina

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

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

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

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