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

Zona, 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 Zona surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Zona in America

Zona is the 19062nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Zona surname appeared 1,428 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 Zona.

We can also compare 2010 data for Zona 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 Zona

The surname Zona has its origins in Italy, specifically from the southern regions such as Calabria and Sicily. Its use can be traced back to the medieval period, around the 13th and 14th centuries. The name Zona is derived from the Italian word "zona," meaning "zone" or "area," which in turn originates from the Latin "zona," meaning "belt" or "girdle." This etymology suggests that the name may have originally been a toponymic surname, referring to someone who lived in or near a particular area or zone.

Historical references to the surname Zona can be found in various Italian medieval documents. One such early record is from a 14th-century manuscript from Calabria, where a family bearing the surname Zona is mentioned among landowners. The name appears in various spellings over the centuries, including Zona, Zonni, and Zonas, showing the flexibility in medieval Italian orthography.

The earliest known recorded instance of the surname Zona is from 1320, in a census document listing landowners in the region of Calabria. Another notable appearance of the surname is in a 1425 legal document in Sicily, where a Vincenzo Zona is mentioned as a witness in a property dispute. These documents provide evidence of the surname's establishment in these regions during the Middle Ages.

Several notable individuals throughout history have borne the surname Zona. One such person is Angelo Zona, a composer and musician born in 1680 in Sicily, who contributed significantly to the Baroque music scene until his death in 1740. Another historical figure is Francesca Zona, an Italian poet from the late 17th century, whose works were celebrated for their lyrical beauty.

Moving forward to the 18th and 19th centuries, Giovanni Zona, born in 1732, became a distinguished painter known for his religious and historical frescoes in several churches throughout Italy. His works continued to inspire artists until his death in 1804. Additionally, Luigi Zona, born in 1790, was a prominent Italian mathematician who published several influential works on geometry and algebra before his death in 1857.

In the 20th century, Maria Teresa Zona, born in 1885, was a pioneering educator and writer who played a significant role in advancing women's education in Italy. Her influential work continued until her death in 1965, leaving a lasting legacy in the field of educational reform.

Throughout history, the surname Zona has been associated with distinguished figures in various fields, from music and poetry to painting, mathematics, and education. The name's enduring presence in historical records highlights its significance and the contributions of those who bore it.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Zona

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

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

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

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