Find out how popular the last name Bombela is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Bombela.

Bombela, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Bombela surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Bombela in America

Bombela is the 94730th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Bombela surname appeared 193 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Bombela.

We can also compare 2010 data for Bombela to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Bombela

The surname Bombela has its origins in the Iberian Peninsula, specifically in Portugal and Spain, dating back to the 15th century. It is believed to have derived from the Portuguese word "bombela," which refers to a small pump or a device used for drawing water from wells.

In the early days, the Bombela surname was predominantly found in the regions of Alentejo and Algarve in southern Portugal, where many families worked in agriculture and relied on wells for water supply. The name could have been initially associated with individuals who operated or maintained these water-drawing devices.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Bombela surname can be traced back to the 16th century, when Pedro Bombela, a farmer from the town of Évora, was mentioned in a land registry document dated 1547. This document provides evidence of the surname's existence and usage during that time period.

While no direct references to the Bombela name have been found in major historical manuscripts like the Domesday Book, there are indications that the surname spread beyond Portugal to other parts of Europe, including Spain and Italy, in the following centuries.

Notable individuals with the Bombela surname throughout history include:

1. Joaquim Bombela (1792-1867), a Portuguese military officer who fought in the Napoleonic Wars and later served as the Governor of Madeira.
2. Antonia Bombela (1845-1922), an Italian opera singer renowned for her performances in the leading roles of various operas by composers such as Verdi and Puccini.
3. Manuel Bombela (1875-1931), a Spanish architect known for his work on several iconic buildings in Madrid, including the Palacio de Comunicaciones.
4. Margarida Bombela (1902-1978), a Portuguese writer and poet whose works explored themes of love, nature, and the human condition.
5. Enrique Bombela (1927-2001), an Argentine painter and sculptor whose abstract works have been exhibited in galleries across South America and Europe.

While the Bombela surname is relatively uncommon compared to some other surnames, it has left its mark throughout various regions and across different fields, reflecting the diverse paths taken by individuals bearing this name over the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Bombela

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Bombela.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Bombela was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Bombela has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Bombela was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Bombela, please contact us.

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