The Messina surname
In the 2010 U.S. Census, 12,717 people carried this name — #2,833 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 23,200 people counted. That is up 1% from 12,626 in 2000.
What the name means
The meaning of the Messina surname
A surname transferred from the place name.
From Latin Messāna, from Ancient Greek Μεσσήνη (Messḗnē, “Messene”), named by a Greek tyrant after the site of Ancient Messene in Peloponnese, Greece.
From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Messina» (Italian), by Wiktionary contributors · licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0) · excerpt, lightly adapted.
In Argentina’s national register
At least 3,380 people named Messina live in Argentina.
RENAPER only publishes a name in a province when more than ten people there share it, so the real number is higher. Most of them live in Buenos Aires Province.
Where it concentrates, on the mapWhere they live today
RENAPER (National Registry of Persons, Argentina), surnames of residents by province, December 2021 — CC BY 4.0.
In France’s civil register
France’s register of deaths holds 827 people named Messina.
Most of them — 635 — were born outside France. Those born in France came from 31 départements, most often Bouches-du-Rhône.
Where it concentrates, on the mapWhere they were born
Fichier des personnes décédées, INSEE — Licence Ouverte 2.0 · deaths recorded in France since 1970, by place of birth.
In Belgium’s population register
At least 640 people named Messina live in Belgium.
Statbel only publishes a name in a municipality when five or more people there share it, so the real number is higher. Most of them live in Hainaut.
Where it concentrates, on the mapWhere they live today
Statbel (Statistics Belgium), family names of the population by municipality, 1 January 2026 — CC BY 4.0.
In Switzerland’s population statistics
609 people named Messina live in Switzerland.
They live in 21 of Switzerland’s 26 cantons, most of all in Zurich.
Where it concentrates, on the mapWhere they live today
Swiss Federal Statistical Office (FSO), «Surnames of the permanent resident population by canton», 2025, opendata.swiss/en/dataset/nachnamen-der-standigen-wohnbevolkerung-nach-kanton3 · names with fewer than 3 bearers in a canton are not published.
In Poland’s population register
27 people named Messina have a registered home in Poland.
Of the 67 in Poland’s national register, these are the ones with a permanent address on file. They live in 3 of Poland’s 16 voivodeships, most of all in Masovian.
Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.
Where they live today
PESEL register, Ministry of Digital Affairs of Poland (dane.gov.pl) — CC0 · living people by voivodeship of permanent residence, 20 January 2026.
In the Nordic population registers
38 people named Messina is counted in Sweden.
Sweden’s figure is from 31 December 2022, the last count Statistics Sweden published.
Counted, by country
Own calculations based on data from Statistics Sweden (SCB), surnames with at least two bearers, 31 December 2022 — CC BY 4.0 (names with 20 or more bearers shown).
In print
Messina in American newspapers,
1908–1909.
Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 100,610 pages in all carry the name.
Who carried it
People named Messina,
with a public archive behind them.
-
Vincenzo Messina 1819–1881 · poet -
Salvatore Messina 1876–1930 · composer -
Gaspare Messina 1879–1957 -
Maria Messina 1887–1944 · writer -
Francesco Messina 1900–1995 · writer
Wikidata and Wikimedia Commons (CC0) · 200 lives in all are documented under this name.
Nearby in the index
Surnames next to Messina.
- Mesnard 314 · U.S. census
- Mesquita 954 · U.S. census
- Messana 497 · U.S. census
- Messer 20,306 · U.S. census
- Messerli 377 · U.S. census
- Messier 4,413 · U.S. census
- Messmer 2,933 · U.S. census
- Messner 5,039 · U.S. census
- Mest 415 · U.S. census
- Mestas 2,375 · U.S. census
- Mestayer 289 · U.S. census
- Mestdagh 101 · U.S. census
When the index is not enough
This page says where Messina is.
A volume says what happened to it.
Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.