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

Cala, 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 Cala surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Cala in America

Cala is the 24685th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Cala surname appeared 1,011 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 Cala.

We can also compare 2010 data for Cala 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 Cala

The surname CALA originates from the Spanish word "cala", which means a small cove or inlet on the coastline. This name has its roots in the Iberian Peninsula, particularly in Spain and Portugal, dating back to the medieval period.

The earliest records of the CALA surname can be traced back to the 13th century in the region of Catalonia, located in northeastern Spain. It is believed that the name was initially adopted by individuals who lived near or were associated with coastal areas or coves.

In the 14th century, the CALA name appeared in historical documents such as the "Libro del Repartimiento de Mallorca" (Book of Distribution of Majorca), which recorded the distribution of land and properties among the conquerors of the Balearic Islands.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the CALA surname was Pedro de Cala, a notable merchant and shipowner from Valencia, Spain, who lived during the late 15th century. Another prominent figure was Juan de Cala, a Spanish navigator and explorer who participated in the expeditions to the Americas in the early 16th century.

The CALA surname also has a presence in Portugal, where it was sometimes spelled as "Cala" or "Calla". One notable Portuguese figure with this name was Lourenço Cala, a 16th-century cartographer and cosmographer who worked for the Portuguese court.

In the 17th century, the CALA surname began to spread to other parts of Europe and the Americas due to Spanish and Portuguese colonization and migration. For instance, Juan de Cala y Salazar was a Spanish colonial administrator who served as the governor of the Philippines from 1663 to 1668.

During the 18th century, the CALA name gained prominence in the arts and literature. Antonio Cala was a renowned Spanish painter and engraver who was active in the mid-18th century, known for his religious and historical works.

As the centuries progressed, the CALA surname continued to be present in various regions influenced by Spanish and Portuguese culture, with individuals bearing this name contributing to various fields such as politics, science, and the arts.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Cala

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

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

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

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