2000
#17,234
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,514
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.56
Rare Last name
Cardella
A surname derived from the Italian word "cardo" meaning "thistle" or "teasel" plant.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,569 Americans carry the last name Cardella. That puts it at #19,711 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.46 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 218,454 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Cardella 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
1.6K
1 in 218,454
Census rank
#19,711
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,368 bearers of the surname Cardella in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.46 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 19711th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Cardella, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.0%) and Two or More Races (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Cardella
The surname Cardella is of Italian origin, with its roots traced back to the regions of Sicily and Calabria in southern Italy. It is believed to have derived from the Italian word "cardella," meaning "goldfinch," a small bird known for its vibrant red and yellow plumage.
In the early medieval period, surnames were often derived from nicknames based on physical characteristics, occupations, or other distinguishing features. It is likely that the name Cardella originated as a nickname for someone with a bright or lively disposition, likened to the vivacious goldfinch bird.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Cardella can be found in historical documents from the 14th and 15th centuries in Sicily and Calabria. For example, a record from 1378 mentions a nobleman named Guglielmo Cardella residing in the town of Messina, Sicily.
Another notable mention of the name Cardella is in the "Codice Diplomatico di Sicilia," a collection of medieval Sicilian charters and documents, which includes references to several individuals bearing the surname in the 15th century.
Throughout history, there have been several notable figures with the surname Cardella:
1. Giovanni Battista Cardella (1696-1776), an Italian historian and author best known for his work "Memorie Storiche de' Cardinali della Santa Romana Chiesa."
2. Vincenzo Cardella (1802-1876), an Italian painter and sculptor from Naples, known for his religious artworks adorning various churches in Italy.
3. Antonio Cardella (1865-1942), an Italian lawyer and politician who served as a member of the Italian Parliament in the early 20th century.
4. Guido Cardella (1925-2011), an Italian screenwriter and film director, known for his collaborations with renowned directors such as Vittorio De Sica and Dino Risi.
5. Sebastiano Cardella (born 1971), a contemporary Italian artist and sculptor, whose works have been exhibited in galleries across Europe and the United States.
The surname Cardella has also been associated with various place names in Italy, particularly in the regions of Sicily and Calabria, where variations such as Cardellino and Cardellicchio can be found.
While the name Cardella is relatively rare outside of Italy, it has maintained a strong presence in its homeland, with families proudly carrying on the legacy of this distinctive Italian surname.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Cardella
Among Census respondents with the surname Cardella, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.0%) and Two or More Races (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Cardella 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 Cardella surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.5% · 1,211
- Hispanic or Latino8.0% · 109
- Two or more races1.9% · 26
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 11
- Black or African American0.7% · 10
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Cardella
Cardella 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
#17,613
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,595
+81 bearers (+5.4%)
Per 100,000 0.54
Rank movement Down 379 places
2020
#19,711
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,368
-227 bearers (-14.2%)
Per 100,000 0.46
Rank movement Down 2,098 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #17,234 | 1,514 | 0.56 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #17,613 | 1,595 | 0.54 | +81 bearers (+5.4%) | Down 379 places |
| 2020 | #19,711 | 1,368 | 0.46 | -227 bearers (-14.2%) | Down 2,098 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 Cardella 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 | #17,613 | #19,711 | -11.9% |
| Count | 1,595 | 1,368 | -14.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.54 | 0.46 | -15.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Cardella bearers went from 1,595 to 1,368 (-14.2% change). The surname moved down 2,098 positions in the national ranking, going from #17,613 to #19,711.
FAQ
Cardella surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Cardella?
Name Census estimates that about 1,569 living Americans carry the surname Cardella. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 218,454 residents.
How common is Cardella?
Cardella ranks #19,711 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.46 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 1,368 people with the surname Cardella. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,569), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.46 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.46 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 Cardella.
Has Cardella become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Cardella went from 1,595 recorded bearers to 1,368. That is a decrease of 227 (-14.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #17,613 to #19,711.
What does the Census say about the background of Cardella?
Among Census respondents with the surname Cardella, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.0%) and Two or More Races (1.9%). 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 Cardella in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.5% (1,211 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Cardella appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.5%), Hispanic (8.0%), Two or More Races (1.9%). 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 Cardella (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 Cardella mean?
A surname derived from the Italian word "cardo" meaning "thistle" or "teasel" plant. 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 Cardella (0.46 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 many people have the surname Cardella?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.