Messina History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Italy

From the ancient and beautiful Italian island of Sicily emerged a variety of distinguished names, including the notable surname Messina. Although people were originally known only by a single name, it became necessary for people to adopt a second name to identify themselves as populations grew and travel became more frequent. The process of adopting fixed hereditary surnames was not complete until the modern era, but the use of hereditary family names in Italy began in the 10th and 11th centuries. Italian hereditary surnames were developed according to fairly general principles and they were characterized by a profusion of derivatives coined from given names. Although the most traditional type of family name found in the region of Sicily is the patronymic surname, which is derived from the father's given name, local surnames are also found. Local names, which are the least frequent of the major types of surnames found in Italy, are derived from a place-name where the original bearer once resided or held land. Often Italian local surnames bore the prefix "di," which signifies emigration from one place to another, and does not necessarily denote nobility. The Messina family lived in the Italian province and town of the same name. The city of Messina is situated in northeast Sicily on the homonymous strait which is the channel separating the Italian peninsula from the island of Sicily.

Early Origins of the Messina family

The surname Messina was first found in Messina (Sicilian: Missina; Latin: Messana), capital of the Italian province of Messina. Its history begins in 397 B.C. After a checkered history the Saracens took it in 831, and the Normans in 1061. It was host to the crusaders in 1190. Garibaldi landed in 1860 and it was the last city to be made a part of united Italy. In those ancient times only persons of rank, the podesta, clergy, city officials, army officers, artists, landowners were entered into the records. To be recorded at this time, at the beginning of recorded history, was of itself a great distinction and indicative of noble ancestry.

Early History of the Messina family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Messina research. Another 123 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1282, 1420, 1478, 1554, 1578, 1651, 1682 and 1808 are included under the topic Early Messina History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Messina Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Messina, Mussina, Massina, Mezzina, Messinetti, Messinese, Messineo, Massina, Mussena and many more.

Early Notables of the Messina family

Prominent among bearers of this surname in early times was

the Messina family of Messina

Messina Ranking

In the United States, the name Messina is the 3,019^th most popular surname with an estimated 9,948 people with that name. 1 However, in France, the name Messina is ranked the 2,956^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,000 - 2,500 people with that name. 2

Messina migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Messina Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

George Messina, who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1836
Felix Maria Messina, who arrived in Puerto Rico in 1862 3
Francisco and Mariani Messina, who both sailed aboard the "SS Letimbro" from Palermo, arriving in New York December 3, 1888
Francesco Messina, who arrived in New York in 1891 aboard the SS Anglia

Messina Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Agata Messina, aged 35, who immigrated to America from Palermo, Sicily, in 1906
Agata Messina, aged 30, who landed in America from Castrogiovanni, Sicily, in 1907
Agata Messina, aged 16, who landed in America from Partanna, Sicily, in 1909
Adelma Messina, aged 16, who immigrated to the United States from Fumefreddo, Italy, in 1909
Alfio Messina, aged 42, who settled in America from Crecardagne, Italy, in 1910
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Messina (post 1700) +

James Melvin "Jim" Messina (b. 1947), American writer, singer, guitarist, producer and engineer, member the folk rock group Buffalo Springfield and half of the soft rock duo Loggins and Messina
Joseph Lucian "Joe" Messina (1928-2022), American guitarist, dubbed the "white brother with soul", one of the most prolific guitarists in Motown Records' in-house studio band, the Funk Brothers
Jack Messina (b. 2007), American teen actor, best known for his role as Cal Stone on NBC's sci-fi drama Manifest
Christopher "Chris" Messina (b. 1974), American actor who had a lead role in the M. Night Shyamalan written horror film Devil
Jo Dee Marie Messina (b. 1970), American country music artist who has charted six number-one singles on the Billboard country music charts and has been nominated for two Grammy Awards
Christopher Reaves "Chris" Messina (b. 1981), American blogger, product consultant and speaker who is the inventor of the use of the hashtag as it is currently used on social media platforms
Michele Messina (b. 1972), American Libertarian politician, Candidate for U.S. Representative from Texas 10th District, 2002
Margaret Ross Messina, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for Texas State Senate 22nd District, 1994
Joseph Messina, American Republican politician, Candidate for New York State Assembly from Kings County 13th District, 1933
Jeanette Messina, American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from New York, 1996
... (Another 9 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Citations +

"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)