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

Testa, 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 Testa surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Testa in America

Testa is the 4084th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Testa surname appeared 8,694 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Testa.

We can also compare 2010 data for Testa 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 Testa

The surname Testa has its roots in Italy, originating from the Italian word "testa" which means "head." This surname likely emerged during the Middle Ages, when it was common for people to be identified by personal characteristics, occupations, or nicknames.

One possible explanation for the origin of this surname is that it was given to individuals who had a distinctive head shape or haircut. Alternatively, it could have been derived from an occupation related to the head, such as a helmet maker or a wig maker.

The earliest recorded instance of the surname Testa can be found in the Codice Diplomatico della Lombardia Medievale, a collection of medieval documents from the region of Lombardy in northern Italy. This document, dated to the 12th century, mentions a certain "Petrus Testa" from the town of Bergamo.

In the 13th century, the surname Testa appeared in the Libro degli Anniversari, a record of anniversaries and deaths in the city of Bologna. This record mentions a "Guidottus Testa" who passed away in 1265.

One notable bearer of the surname Testa was Niccolo Testa, a 14th-century Italian painter from the city of Pisa. His works can be found in various churches and museums throughout Italy.

Another prominent figure with this surname was Girolamo Testa, a 17th-century Italian engraver and painter. Born in 1619 in Rome, he is renowned for his etchings and paintings depicting historical and mythological scenes.

In the 18th century, a man named Giuseppe Testa was a influential architect and engineer from the city of Genoa. He is credited with designing several notable buildings and structures in Genoa, including the Palazzo Doria Tursi and the Ponte Monumentale.

The surname Testa also has ties to the town of Testa, located in the province of Potenza in southern Italy. This place name likely contributed to the spread of the surname in that region.

Over the centuries, variations of the surname Testa have emerged, such as Testai, Testali, and Testini. These variations often indicate regional or dialectal differences in pronunciation or spelling.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Testa

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

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

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

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