2000
#134,929
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Arcella
An Italian surname derived from the word "arcella" meaning a small box or chest.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 127 Americans carry the last name Arcella. That puts it at #148,665 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,698,853 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Arcella surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
127
1 in 2,698,853
Census rank
#148,665
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
111
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 111 bearers of the surname Arcella in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 148665th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Arcella, the largest self-reported group is White at 73.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (23.4%) and Two or More Races (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Arcella
The surname Arcella originated in Italy, with roots dating back to the Middle Ages. It is thought to be derived from the Italian word "arcella," which means "small arch." This suggests that the name may have been initially associated with someone who lived near or worked with arches or small bridges.
One of the earliest known references to the Arcella surname can be found in the archives of the Republic of Venice, dating back to the 13th century. In these records, there are mentions of individuals bearing the name, indicating that it was already established in the region during that time.
The Arcella name has also been linked to various place names in Italy. For instance, there is a town called Arcella in the province of Padua, which may have contributed to the surname's origins. Additionally, the name bears similarities to the Italian word "arcello," meaning "small brook," which could indicate that some Arcella families may have resided near or worked near small streams or brooks.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the Arcella surname. One of the earliest recorded was Giovanni Arcella, a Venetian merchant and trader who lived in the late 14th century. Another prominent figure was Bartolomeo Arcella, a renowned architect from Vicenza who designed several churches and palaces in the 16th century (born around 1490, died circa 1565).
In the 17th century, there was a painter named Francesco Arcella (1592-1677) who was active in the Venetian Republic. His works can still be found in various churches and galleries across Italy. Later, in the 19th century, Pietro Arcella (1806-1868) was a respected Italian lawyer and politician who served as a member of parliament.
Another individual with the Arcella surname was Giacomo Arcella (1873-1943), a prominent Italian sculptor known for his works in bronze and marble. He was particularly renowned for his religious sculptures and monuments found in churches throughout Italy.
While the Arcella name has its roots in Italy, over the centuries, it has spread to other parts of the world due to migration and travel. However, the earliest recorded instances and historical references remain concentrated in Italy, particularly in the regions of Venice and the surrounding areas.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Arcella
Among Census respondents with the surname Arcella, the largest self-reported group is White at 73.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (23.4%) and Two or More Races (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Arcella bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Arcella surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White73.0% · 81
- Hispanic or Latino23.4% · 26
- Two or more races1.8% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Arcella
Arcella appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#145,220
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
-1 bearers (-0.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 10,291 places
2020
#148,665
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
-3 bearers (-2.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 3,445 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #134,929 | 115 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #145,220 | 114 | 0.04 | -1 bearers (-0.9%) | Down 10,291 places |
| 2020 | #148,665 | 111 | 0.04 | -3 bearers (-2.6%) | Down 3,445 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Arcella surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #145,220 | #148,665 | -2.4% |
| Count | 114 | 111 | -2.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -7.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Arcella bearers went from 114 to 111 (-2.6% change). The surname moved down 3,445 positions in the national ranking, going from #145,220 to #148,665.
FAQ
Arcella surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Arcella?
Name Census estimates that about 127 living Americans carry the surname Arcella. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,698,853 residents.
How common is Arcella?
Arcella ranks #148,665 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 111 people with the surname Arcella. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (127), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Arcella.
Has Arcella become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Arcella went from 114 recorded bearers to 111. That is a decrease of 3 (-2.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #145,220 to #148,665.
What does the Census say about the background of Arcella?
Among Census respondents with the surname Arcella, the largest self-reported group is White at 73.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (23.4%) and Two or More Races (1.8%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Arcella in the 2020 Census, accounting for 73.0% (81 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Arcella appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (73.0%), Hispanic (23.4%), Two or More Races (1.8%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Arcella (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Arcella mean?
An Italian surname derived from the word "arcella" meaning a small box or chest. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Arcella (0.04 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many Americans have the surname Arcella?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.