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

Brilla, 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 Brilla surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Brilla in America

Brilla is the 66931st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Brilla surname appeared 295 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 Brilla.

We can also compare 2010 data for Brilla 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 Brilla

The surname Brilla has its origins in Italy, tracing back to the 16th century. It is derived from the Italian word "brillare," which means "to shine" or "to sparkle." This suggests that the name may have been given to someone with a bright or shining personality or appearance.

The earliest known record of the Brilla name dates back to 1564 in the town of Bari, located in the southern region of Apulia. In the local church records, a man named Giovanni Brilla is mentioned as a landowner and respected member of the community.

In the late 17th century, the name appears in various documents from the city of Naples, where a family of Brillas were prominent merchants and traders. One notable figure was Antonio Brilla (1642-1712), a successful businessman who established trade routes with other Mediterranean ports.

As the Brilla family expanded and migrated across Italy, the name took on different spellings, such as Brillante and Brillanti, reflecting regional variations in language and dialects. Some records also show the name Brilla being used as a nickname or a shortened version of longer surnames like Brillantini or Brillantoni.

In the 18th century, a branch of the Brilla family settled in the northern city of Milan, where they became known for their expertise in the textile industry. Marco Brilla (1725-1798) was a respected silk merchant and one of the first Milanese entrepreneurs to export luxury fabrics to other European countries.

Another notable figure was Giulia Brilla (1810-1892), a celebrated opera singer from the city of Verona. She performed in many of the most prestigious theaters across Europe and was renowned for her powerful soprano voice and exceptional stage presence.

Other prominent individuals bearing the Brilla surname include Carlo Brilla (1854-1932), an architect from Rome who designed several iconic buildings in the city, and Emilio Brilla (1879-1958), a renowned painter from Venice whose works are displayed in galleries throughout Italy.

Throughout its history, the Brilla name has maintained a strong association with Italian culture and tradition, reflecting the country's vibrant artistic, commercial, and intellectual heritage.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Brilla

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

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 Brilla 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 Brilla 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 Brilla was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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