Molina (surname)
Molina is a Spanish occupational surname. Molina is Latin for 'mill' and is derived from another Latin word, mola ('millstone'). The surname originated from the early Middle Ages, referring to a person who operates a mill or a millstone.[1] Other Spanish surnames, like Molinero (literally: 'miller'), have also originated in the work and management of a mill. Spanish municipalities like Molina de Segura (Murcia) or Molina de Aragón (Castilla-La Mancha) still nowadays include millstones or mill blades in their respective coats of arms (cf. coat of arms of Molina de Segura and Coats of arms of Molina de Aragón).
A bloodline of Molinas, in the Christian Kingdom of Castile, originated from ennoblement when Manrique Pérez de Lara, of the House of Lara, in April 1154 issued a fuero to the town of Molina, nowadays called Molina de Aragón.[2]
A
    
- Alfonso Quiñónez Molina (1874–1950), President of El Salvador twice 1918–1927
 - Alfred Molina (born 1953), English actor
 - Alvaro de Molina (born 1957), American banker, chief financial officer of Bank of America Corporation
 - Ángela Molina (born 1955), Spanish actress
 - Antonio Muñoz Molina (born 1956), Spanish writer and member of the Royal Spanish Academy
 - Antonio Sebastián de Toledo Molina y Salazar (1625–1710), viceroy of New Spain 1664–1673
 - Antonio Tejero Molina (born 1932), a Spanish Lieutenant-Colonel who attempted a coup d'état
 - Arturo Armando Molina (1927–2021), President of El Salvador 1972–1977
 
B
    
- Bengie Molina (born 1974), Puerto Rican baseball player
 
C
    
- Carmen Molina, Mexican actress
 - Clarissa Molina (born 1991), Miss Dominican Republic and Top 10 Miss Universe 2015
 
D
    
- Dafne Molina (born 1982), Mexican beauty pageant titleholder
 - Delfina Molina y Vedia (1879–1961), Argentine chemist, writer, teacher, painter, and singer
 
E
    
- Edward C. Molina (1877–1964), American teletraffic engineer
 - Enrique Molina (actor) (born 1944), Cuban actor
 - Enrique Molina Sobrino (contemporary), wealthy Mexican businessman, sued for fraud by the Mexican government
 - Enrique Molina (athlete) (born 1968), Spanish middle-distance runner
 
F
    
- Florencio Molina Campos (1891–1959), Argentine painter
 - Franklin Molina (born 1984), Venezuelan road cyclist
 - Fray Alonzo de Molina (1513 or 1514 – 1579 or 1585), author of a classic Nahuatl-Spanish Vocabulario
 
G
    
- Gerardo Molina (1906–1991), Colombian writer, politician, and academic
 - Gloria Molina (born 1948), American politician, chairwoman of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors
 - Gustavo Molina (born 1982), Venezuelan baseball player
 
H
    
- Hector Garcia-Molina (contemporary), American engineering professor, member of the Board of Directors of Oracle Corporation
 - Hilda Molina (born 1942), Cuban neurosurgeon and dissident
 - Hugo Antonio Laviada Molina, a Mexican politician
 
I
    
- Infanta Maria Francisca, Countess of Molina (1800–1834), Portuguese infanta daughter of King John VI of Portugal
 - Infante Carlos, Count of Molina (1788–1855), son of King Charles IV of Spain, Carlist pretender to the throne of Spain
 - Ivan Molina (born 1946), Colombian tennis player
 - Agent Isabella Molina, an undercover cop in "Rush Hour 2"
 
J
    
- Jacinto Molina (Paul Naschy) (1934–2009), Spanish movie actor, screenwriter, and director
 - Jason Molina (1974–2013), American indie rock musician
 - Jennifer Molina (born 1981), Mexican female footballer
 - John John Molina (Juan Molina) (born 1965), Puerto Rican boxer
 - John Molina, Jr. (born 1982), American boxer
 - Jorge Molina (born 1966), Cuban film director
 - José Angel Molina (born 1958), Puerto Rican boxer
 - José Antonio Molina Rosito (born 1926), Honduran botanist (Ant.Molina)
 - José Molina (born 1975), Puerto Rican baseball player
 - José Domingo Molina Gómez (1896–1969), interim President of Argentina 1955
 - José Francisco Molina (born 1970), Spanish football player
 - Juan Francisco de Molina (fl. 1839), President of Honduras 1839
 - Juan Ignacio Molina (1740–1829), Chilean priest and naturalist
 - Juan Manuel Molina (born 1979), Spanish race walker
 - Juana Molina (born 1962), Argentine singer, songwriter, and actress
 - Justo Páez Molina (1902–1969), Argentine politician, Governor of Córdoba 1963–1966
 - Jacinto Tigno Molina (1894-1944) Filipino Politician, Mayor of Bulakan, Bulacan 1935-1938, Governor of Bulacan, Philippines 1938-1940
 - João Antonio Molina Cagnoni (1949-2005) Brazilian Journalist
 
K
    
- Kim Molina (born 1991), Filipino actress
 - Keann Molina (born 2006), Portrait painting, Artist
 
L
    
- Laura Molina (badminton) (contemporary), Spanish badminton player
 - Laura Molina (born 1957), American artist
 - Lauren Molina, American actress, singer, songwriter
 - Luis de Molina (1535–1600), Spanish Jesuit priest and theologian
 - Luis Molina (boxer) (1938–2013), American boxer
 - Luis Molina (rugby player) (born 1959), Argentine rugby union player
 - Luis Manuel Molina (born 1959), Cuban musician, composer and broadcaster
 - Luis Molina (baseball) (born 1974), Nicaraguan baseball coach
 - Luis Pedro Molina (born 1977), Guatemalan football goalkeeper
 - Luis Molina (athlete) (born 1988), Argentine athlete
 
M
    
- Manuel Luis Quezon y Molina (1877–1944), first or second president of the Philippines
 - Mariana Molina (born 1990), Brazilian actress
 - Mario J. Molina (1943–2020), Mexican Nobel Prize recipient in chemistry
 - Marquis de Molina (fl. 1821–1867), Spanish politician and government minister
 - Mauricio Molina (golfer) (born 1966), Argentine golfer
 - Mauricio Molina (born 1980), Colombian football player
 
O
    
- Olivia Molina (singer) (born 1946), German-Mexican singer
 - Olivia Molina (actress) (born 1980), Spanish actress
 
P
    
- Pedro X. Molina (born 1976), Nicaraguan caricaturist
 - Pilar Molina Llorente (born 1943), Spanish writer
 
R
    
- Rafael Leónidas Trujillo Molina (1891–1961), dictator of the Dominican Republic 1930–1961
 - Rafael Molina Sánchez (1841–1900), Spanish matador
 - Ralph Molina (born 1943), American rock drummer
 - Raúl De Molina (born 1959), Cuban television celebrity on Univision
 - Remigio Molina (born 1970), Argentine Olympic boxer
 - Romain Molina (born 1991), French investigative reporter
 - Rolando Molina (born 1971), El Salvadoran-American actor
 
S
    
- Scott Molina (born 1960), American championship triathlete
 
T
    
- Tirso de Molina (1571–1648), Spanish dramatist and poet
 
Y
    
- Yadier Molina (born 1982), Puerto Rican baseball player
 
See also
    
    
References
    
- p. 164 in Gutierre Tibón, Diccionario etimológico comparado de los apellidos españoles, hispanoamericanos y filipinos ('Comparative Etymological Dictionary of Spanish, Hispanic American and Filipino Surnames'), Fondo de Cultura Económica, Mexico City, February 1995 as a reprint of 2nd Edition from 1992 (1st Edition: 1988, Editorial Diana); 434 pp., ISBN 968-16-3714-3
 - "Molina" surname datasheet in the official genealogical and heraldic «Andalucía GenWeb» website, from «Darrax Cultura y Comunicación», Málaga, Andalusia. (in Spanish)