Medina (surname)

Medina is a common Mediterranean toponymic surname of Spanish and Sephardic origin.

The surname was derived from several cities and towns of Spain such as Medina del Campo, Medina de Pomar, Medina de Rioseco, Medinaceli, Medina-Sidonia and Medina de las Torres, Italy, such as Medina, Campania and Malta, such as Mdina. The use of the term dates back to the Muslim rule of Al Andalus, Emirate of Sicily and the times of Islam in Malta (8th–15th century) and it originates from the Arabic word madīnah (مَدِيْنَة) which means "city". Many families that came new to these places took it as a surname during the Reconquista. The surname was imported to the Spanish colonies by the conquistadores. Medina is a common surname among Moriscos, Conversos and Marrano too.

People

Notable people with the surname include:

Adonis Medina (born 1996), Dominican baseball player
Alberto Medina Briseño (born 1983), Mexican footballer
Alex Vincent Medina (born 1986), Filipino film actor
Alexander Medina Reobasco (born 1978), Uruguayan footballer
Anabel Medina Garrigues (born 1982), Spanish tennis player
Ana Medina, Venezuela's ambassador to Poland appointed by the National Assembly
Ann Medina, American-born Canadian journalist and documentary producer
Antonio Medina (disambiguation), several people
Antonio César Medina (born 1984), Argentine footballer
Astrid Medina (born 1977), Colombian coffee producer
Avihu Medina (born 1948), Israeli singer-songwriter
Benny Medina (born 1958), American music producer, talent manager and record executive
Biel Medina Piris (born 1980), Spanish footballer
Brian Medina (born 1993), Argentine footballer
Carlos Medina, Venezuelan plastic artist
César Medina Lozado (born 1991), Peruvian footballer
Chris Medina (born 1983), American singer and American Idol contestant
Claribel Medina (born 1961), Puerto Rican actress
Cristian Medina (born 2002), Argentine footballer
Danilo Medina Sánchez (born 1951), Dominican politician and President of the Dominican Republic from 2012 to 2020
David M. Medina (born 1958), a former Justice of the Texas Supreme Court
Diego Medina (born 1991), Argentine footballer
Ernest Medina (1936-2018), US Army captain, commanding officer of the unit responsible for the My Lai Massacre
Facundo Medina (born 1999), Argentine footballer
Fernando Medina (born 1973), Spanish fencer
Fernando Medina (politician) (born 1973), Portuguese politician and mayor of Lisbon
Gabriel Medina (born 1993), Brazilian professional surfer
Henrique Medina (1901–1988), Portuguese painter
Herme Medina Agüero (1944-2016) Paraguayan poet and musician
Hernán Medina (footballer) (born 1974), Argentine retired footballer
Humberto Medina (dancer), Cuban dancer
Humberto Medina (footballer) (1942–2011), Mexican footballer
Isaías Medina Angarita (1897–1953), Venezuelan soldier and politician, President of Venezuela (1941-1945)
Iizzwa Medina (born 1982), Honduran table tennis player
Jaume Medina i Casanovas (1949–2023), Catalan philologist, latinist, writer, translator and poet
John Baptist Medina (1659–1710), artist of Flemish-Spanish origin who worked in England and Scotland
Jorge Medina (cardinal) (1926–2021), Chilean cardinal of the Catholic Church
Jorge Medina (1968–2022), Bolivian civil right activist and politician
José Medina (disambiguation), several people
Juan Medina (disambiguation), several people
Juan Manuel Abal Medina (born 1945), Argentine journalist and politician
Juan Manuel Abal Medina Jr. (born 1968), Argentine academic and politician
Julio Medina III (born 1976), Panamanian footballer
Leonardo Medina Gutiérrez (born 1977), Uruguayan footballer
Lina Medina (born 1933), Peruvian woman, youngest mother in recorded history
Luis Medina (disambiguation), several people
Luiz Carlos Medina (born 1990), Brazilian footballer
Maria Medina (disambiguation), several people
Maxine Medina (born 1990), Filipina actress and beauty pageant titleholder
Nery Medina Norales (born 1981), Honduran footballer
Nicolás Medina (born 1982), Argentine footballer
Nicolás Esteban Medina Ríos (born 1987), Chilean footballer
Ninrrol Medina Torres (born 1976), Honduran footballer and football manager
Ofelia Medina (born 1950), Mexican actress
Pablo Medina (born 1960), Cuban poet
Pablo Medina Velázquez (c. 1961–2014), Paraguayan journalist
Patricia Medina (1919–2012), English actress
Paula Medina (born 1989), Colombian table tennis player
Pen Medina (born 1950), Filipino actor
Ping Medina (born 1983), Filipino film actor
Pol Medina, Jr. (born 1960), Filipino comics artist
Rafael Medina Rodríguez (born 1979), Mexican professional footballer
Rafael Medina (baseball) (born 1975), Panamanian former Major League Baseball pitcher
Ramón Medina Bello (born 1966), Argentine retired footballer
Ricardo Medina, Jr. (born 1979), American actor
Roberto Medina (born 1947), Brazilian businessman
Rubem Medina (born 1942), Brazilian politician, economist, and businessman
Salvador Medina Cárcamo (born 1988), Mexican footballer
Salvadora Medina Onrubia (1894-1972), Argentine poet, anarchist, feminist
Samuel Doria Medina (born 1958), Bolivian politician
Stefan Medina Ramírez (born 1992), Colombian footballer
Tony Medina (José Antonio Medina) (died 2011), Cuban songwriter
Tulia Angela Medina (born 1983), Colombian weightlifter
Vincent Medina (born 1986), Indigenous Ohlone cultural leader
Wilder Medina Tamayo (born 1981), Colombian footballer
Willian dos Santos Medina (born 1992), Brazilian footballer
Yoervis Medina (born 1988), Venezuelan Major League football player
Yojer Medina (born 1973), Venezuelan shot putter and discus thrower

People

See also