2000
#139,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Butalla
An Italian surname derived from the German word "butte" meaning hill or mound.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 125 Americans carry the last name Butalla. That puts it at #150,205 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,742,035 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Butalla 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
125
1 in 2,742,035
Census rank
#150,205
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
109
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 109 bearers of the surname Butalla in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150205th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Butalla, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.8%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Butalla
The surname BUTALLA has its origins in Italy, tracing back to the late 15th century. It is believed to have originated from the town of Buttalla, a small village located in the region of Calabria, situated in the southern part of the Italian peninsula.
The name BUTALLA is derived from the Latin word 'buttis,' which means 'barrel' or 'cask.' This linguistic connection suggests that the earliest bearers of this surname may have been involved in the production or trade of barrels or casks, possibly for wine or other goods.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name BUTALLA can be found in a document dated 1492, which refers to a certain Giovanni BUTALLA, a merchant from the town of Buttalla. This document provides evidence of the name's existence during the Renaissance period in Italy.
In the 16th century, the name BUTALLA began to spread beyond the confines of the small village from which it originated. Records from this time indicate that members of the BUTALLA family had established themselves in various parts of Calabria, as well as in the neighboring regions of Basilicata and Campania.
Notable individuals with the surname BUTALLA include Tommaso BUTALLA (1570-1639), a renowned painter and fresco artist whose works adorned several churches and palaces in Naples and its surrounding areas. Another prominent figure was Giulia BUTALLA (1612-1688), a celebrated author and poet who gained recognition for her lyrical compositions and contributions to the literary circles of Rome.
In the 18th century, the name BUTALLA appeared in the records of the Neapolitan nobility, with members of the family holding prestigious titles and positions within the Kingdom of Naples. One such individual was Vincenzo BUTALLA (1721-1789), a respected jurist and legal scholar who served as a judge in the Royal Court of Naples.
As the centuries progressed, the BUTALLA name continued to spread across Italy and beyond. In the 19th century, a number of individuals bearing this surname were noted for their achievements in various fields, including Giuseppe BUTALLA (1822-1897), a renowned architect who designed several landmarks in the city of Palermo, and Antonio BUTALLA (1841-1912), a distinguished military officer who served in the Italian Army during the unification of Italy.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Butalla
Among Census respondents with the surname Butalla, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.8%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Butalla 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 Butalla surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White96.3% · 105
- Two or more races2.8% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Butalla
Butalla 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
#151,532
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
-2 bearers (-1.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 11,775 places
2020
#150,205
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
+1 bearers (+0.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 1,327 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #139,757 | 110 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #151,532 | 108 | 0.04 | -2 bearers (-1.8%) | Down 11,775 places |
| 2020 | #150,205 | 109 | 0.04 | +1 bearers (+0.9%) | Up 1,327 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 Butalla 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 | #151,532 | #150,205 | 0.9% |
| Count | 108 | 109 | 0.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -8.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Butalla bearers went from 108 to 109 (+0.9% change). The surname moved up 1,327 positions in the national ranking, going from #151,532 to #150,205.
FAQ
Butalla surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Butalla?
Name Census estimates that about 125 living Americans carry the surname Butalla. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,742,035 residents.
How common is Butalla?
Butalla ranks #150,205 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 109 people with the surname Butalla. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (125), 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 Butalla.
Has Butalla become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Butalla went from 108 recorded bearers to 109. That is an increase of 1 (+0.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #151,532 to #150,205.
What does the Census say about the background of Butalla?
Among Census respondents with the surname Butalla, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.8%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.9%). 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 Butalla in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.3% (105 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Butalla appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (96.3%), Two or More Races (2.8%), American Indian/Alaska Native (0.9%). 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 Butalla (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 Butalla mean?
An Italian surname derived from the German word "butte" meaning hill or mound. 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 Butalla (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 common is the surname Butalla?
Find out how many people are called Butalla on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.