Medina
A surname usually linked to a place name meaning “the city” or “town” in Arabic, especially common in Spain and the Hispanic world.
The #133 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 1,638 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Medina is most often a habitational surname taken from a place called Medina, especially the many Spanish towns so named. The place-name comes from Arabic madīna, meaning “city” or “town.” In Iberian use, the word passed into Spanish as medina and became a common place element and surname source.
History
In Spanish records, Medina is found as a toponymic surname associated with people from towns called Medina, and it spread widely through Spain and later to the Americas. The surname also appears in Jewish and Muslim Iberian contexts, reflecting the mixed onomastic history of medieval Spain. Today it is especially common in Spanish-speaking countries and among Hispanic communities.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The famous place-name Medina in Saudi Arabia is from the same Arabic word, though the surname usually points to Spanish place names rather than that city specifically.
From the historical record
“de las partes de la oracion. Lo que está en el medio. Medinilla. Diminutivo de Medina. Medio. Lo que tiene la mitad de alguna cosa, como 2/e- dio real, media arroba, etc. Mejes. Anticuado, médico.”
— Diccionario de los apellidos