The Spanish and Portuguese surname of Medina originated in Spain around the regions of Andalusia and Burgos. It means a dweller near a market.

Additional spelling forms for Medina are Medinilla and Madinah.

In England the London region including two counties south, Sussex, and Surrey have the higher population of Medina families.

Spain along with several Latin American countries such as Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Cuba and Mexico have high Medina populations.

Within the United States most with the Medina surname lived in the southwestern states. Primarily the states of Texas, New Mexico, Colorado, Arizona and California have many Medina families.

Famous: Luis Medina (professional baseball player), Ann Medina (journalist from Canada), Anabel Medina (professional tennis player), Tulia Medina (weightlifter from Columbia) and Ernest Medina (U. S. Army commander in Vietnam).