2010
#160,975
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 100
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.03
Very Rare Last name
Arella
A Spanish surname possibly referring to someone who worked in a sand quarry.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 116 Americans carry the last name Arella. That puts it at #155,270 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,954,779 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Arella 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
116
1 in 2,954,779
Census rank
#155,270
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
101
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 101 bearers of the surname Arella in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 155270th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Arella, the largest self-reported group is White at 49.5%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (23.8%) and Hispanic (19.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Arella
The surname Arella has its roots in the Italian region of Tuscany, dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to be derived from the Latin word "arellus," which means "small bear." This suggests that the name may have originally referred to someone who had a bear-like appearance or demeanor.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Arella can be found in the 13th-century manuscripts of the city of Siena, where a certain Giovanni Arella is mentioned as a prominent merchant. It is possible that the name was initially a nickname that eventually became a hereditary surname.
During the 14th century, the Arella family established themselves as landowners in the Tuscan countryside, particularly in the areas around Arezzo and Cortona. Several historical documents from this period, such as tax records and property deeds, bear the Arella name.
In the 15th century, a notable figure named Francesco Arella (1420-1492) gained recognition as a skilled sculptor and architect. He contributed to the construction of several churches and palaces in Florence and Siena, leaving his mark on the Renaissance architectural landscape of Tuscany.
The Arella name also appeared in the annals of the Venetian Republic, where a military commander named Giacomo Arella (1530-1601) distinguished himself in the wars against the Ottoman Empire. He is credited with leading successful campaigns in the Aegean Sea and the Ionian Islands.
Another significant Arella was Girolamo Arella (1670-1745), a renowned jurist and legal scholar from Naples. His treatises on Roman law and jurisprudence were widely studied and influential during the 18th century.
In the realm of literature, the poet and playwright Vittorio Arella (1825-1890) gained fame for his works that celebrated the beauty of the Tuscan countryside and the rich cultural heritage of his native region.
While the exact origins of the Arella surname may be shrouded in the mists of time, its presence throughout the centuries in various parts of Italy, particularly Tuscany, is well documented. The name has been associated with individuals from diverse backgrounds, including merchants, artists, military leaders, and intellectuals, contributing to the rich tapestry of Italian history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Arella
Among Census respondents with the surname Arella, the largest self-reported group is White at 49.5%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (23.8%) and Hispanic (19.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Arella 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 Arella surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White49.5% · 50
- Asian and Pacific Islander23.8% · 24
- Hispanic or Latino19.8% · 20
- Two or more races5.9% · 6
- Black or African American1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Arella
Arella appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#155,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101
+1 bearers (+1.0%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Up 5,705 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #160,975 | 100 | 0.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #155,270 | 101 | 0.03 | +1 bearers (+1.0%) | Up 5,705 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 Arella 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 | #160,975 | #155,270 | 3.5% |
| Count | 100 | 101 | 1.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.03 | 12.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Arella bearers went from 100 to 101 (+1.0% change). The surname moved up 5,705 positions in the national ranking, going from #160,975 to #155,270.
FAQ
Arella surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Arella?
Name Census estimates that about 116 living Americans carry the surname Arella. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,954,779 residents.
How common is Arella?
Arella ranks #155,270 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 101 people with the surname Arella. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (116), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Arella.
Has Arella become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Arella went from 100 recorded bearers to 101. That is an increase of 1 (+1.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #160,975 to #155,270.
What does the Census say about the background of Arella?
Among Census respondents with the surname Arella, the largest self-reported group is White at 49.5%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (23.8%) and Hispanic (19.8%). 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 Arella in the 2020 Census, accounting for 49.5% (50 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Arella appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (49.5%), Asian/Pacific Islander (23.8%), Hispanic (19.8%). 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 Arella (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 Arella mean?
A Spanish surname possibly referring to someone who worked in a sand quarry. 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 Arella (0.03 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 common is the surname Arella?
For a quick modern take, check how many Americans have the surname Arella on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.