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

Terranova, 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 Terranova surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Terranova in America

Terranova is the 9884th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Terranova surname appeared 3,271 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 Terranova.

We can also compare 2010 data for Terranova 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 Terranova

The surname Terranova has its origins in Italy, specifically in the regions of Sicily and Calabria. It is derived from the Italian words "terra nova," which translates to "new land" or "new earth." This name likely originated during the Middle Ages, when there was a significant movement of people from the Italian mainland to the islands of Sicily and Sardinia.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Terranova can be found in the Sicilian Monastic Records from the 14th century. These records document the presence of individuals with the surname Terranova in various monasteries and religious orders across the island.

Throughout the Renaissance period, the name Terranova gained prominence in the city of Palermo, where several notable individuals bore this surname. One such individual was Giovanni Terranova, a renowned artist and sculptor who lived in the late 15th century. His works can still be seen adorning various churches and public buildings in Palermo.

In the 17th century, the Terranova family established themselves as a prominent noble family in the town of Mistretta, located in the province of Messina, Sicily. This family played a significant role in the local politics and governance of the area during that time period.

Another notable figure with the surname Terranova was Francesco Terranova, a Sicilian philosopher and scholar who lived in the 18th century. He was known for his contributions to the field of natural philosophy and his writings on the relationship between science and religion.

As the Terranova surname spread beyond Sicily, it also gained recognition in other parts of Italy. In the 19th century, Giuseppe Terranova, a lawyer and politician from Calabria, played a pivotal role in the Italian unification movement, advocating for the unification of the various Italian states under a single kingdom.

Historically, variations of the Terranova surname have included spellings such as Terranuova, Terranuova di Brindisi (referring to the town of Terranuova Brindisi in Puglia), and Terranova di Sicilia (referring to the Sicilian origins of the name).

While the Terranova surname has its roots in Italy, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly through immigration. However, the rich historical and cultural significance of this surname remains deeply rooted in the regions of Sicily and Calabria.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Terranova

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

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

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

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