Explore the Family Name Bana

The meaning of Bana

1. Italian: from the feminine form of Bano. 2. Hungarian: from a pet form of the old personal name Bán (see Ban). 3. Czech (Báňa): nickname from báň ‘arch’, figuratively ‘prison’. 4. Slovak (Baňa, Báňa): topographic name or metonymic occupational name from báň ‘clearing in woodland’ or baňa ‘mine’, also ‘potter’s oven’. 5. Indian (Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh): Jat name apparently derived from the Hindi and Sanskrit word bana ‘arrow’. This was an epithet applied to the mythical hero Banasur, who in Hindu belief was an excellent archer, a thousand-armed devotee of Shiva and one of the hundred sons of the powerful monkey king Bali. 6. African (mainly Cameroon, Niger, and Nigeria): unexplained.

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name Bana in the United States?

The surname Bana has seen an increase in popularity according to the Decennial U.S. Census data. In 2000, it ranked 62,775 and increased to a ranking of 55,841 by 2010, reflecting an 11.05% change. The count of individuals with this surname also rose from 298 in 2000 to 367 in 2010, marking a significant growth of 23.15%. The proportion per 100,000 people saw a slight uptick as well, moving from 0.11 in 2000 to 0.12 in 2010, indicating a 9.09% change.

20002010Change
Rank#62,775#55,84111.05%
Count29836723.15%
Proportion per 100k0.110.129.09%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Bana

When examining the ethnic identity associated with the surname Bana, the Decennial U.S. Census data reveals interesting shifts between 2000 and 2010. A subtle rise was observed in those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander (from 33.22% to 33.79%), while a significant leap was seen in those identifying as Black, starting at 0% in 2000 and jumping to 23.98% in 2010. There was also a noticeable increase in those identifying as Hispanic, which went up by 39.57%, from 10.74% to 14.99%. However, there were declines in other categories - the percentage of those reporting as White fell by 36.62%, from 38.26% to 24.25%, and the group identifying as Two or more races saw a drastic reduction, from 10.07% to 3.00%. No changes were noted within the American Indian and Alaskan Native category.

20002010Change
Asian/Pacific Islander33.22%33.79%1.72%
White38.26%24.25%-36.62%
Black0%23.98%0%
Hispanic10.74%14.99%39.57%
Two or More Races10.07%3%-70.21%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0%0%0%