Explore the Family Name Palestina
The meaning of Palestina
1. Spanish, Portuguese, and Italian: from the Spanish, Portuguese, and Italian name for Palestine, a region in the Middle East between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River. It was applied either as a nickname, e.g. for a pilgrim to the Holy Land, as a personal name, or as a habitational name. 2. Italian: altered form, influenced by the name of a region in the Middle East (see 1 above), of Palestrina, a habitational name from a place so named in Lazio. The surname Palestina is very rare in Italy.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Palestina in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname Palestina has seen a significant rise in popularity within the United States over the past decade. In 2000, Palestina ranked as the 108,153rd most common surname in the country, but by 2010 it had climbed to the rank of 61,123, marking an impressive increase of 43.48%. The number of individuals bearing this surname also rose from 152 to 329 during the same period, representing a substantial growth rate of 116.45%. Consequently, the proportion of people with the surname Palestina per 100,000 members of the population grew by 83.33%, from 0.06 to 0.11.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #108,153 | #61,123 | 43.48% |
| Count | 152 | 329 | 116.45% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.06 | 0.11 | 83.33% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Palestina
The census data also reveals interesting insights about the ethnic identity associated with the surname Palestina. While there was no recorded change in the Asian/Pacific Islander, Two or more races, Black, and American Indian and Alaskan Native categories, the White and Hispanic proportions experienced noteworthy shifts. In 2000, 40.79% of those with the surname identified as White, compared to 21.28% in 2010 - a decrease of 47.83%. Conversely, the percentage identifying as Hispanic increased substantially from 59.21% in 2000 to 77.81% in 2010, marking a rise of 31.41%. This shift in ethnic identities associated with the Palestina surname reflects broader demographic trends observed in the Decennial U.S. Census data.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hispanic | 59.21% | 77.81% | 31.41% |
| White | 40.79% | 21.28% | -47.83% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Two or More Races | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Black | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0% | 0% |