2000
#12,902
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,185
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.81
Rare Last name
Cella
An Italian occupational surname referring to a storeroom worker or one who managed a pantry or cellar.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,482 Americans carry the last name Cella. That puts it at #13,452 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.72 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 138,096 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Cella 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Cella with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.5K
1 in 138,096
Census rank
#13,452
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,164 bearers of the surname Cella in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.72 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13452nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Cella, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.7%) and Two or More Races (2.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Cella
The surname Cella originated in Italy, with its roots dating back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Latin word "cella," which means "a small room" or "a small dwelling." This suggests that the name may have been initially associated with individuals who lived in small houses or worked in storage rooms.
In the early medieval period, the name Cella was found primarily in the northern regions of Italy, particularly in the areas around Milan and Genoa. It is believed that some of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be traced back to the 11th and 12th centuries, when it appeared in various legal documents and property records.
One notable historical reference to the name Cella is found in the "Codex Diplomaticus Cavensis," a collection of medieval documents from the Benedictine monastery in Cava dei Tirreni, located in the southern Italian region of Campania. The codex contains several mentions of individuals with the surname Cella, suggesting that the name had spread to other parts of Italy by the 13th century.
The earliest known bearer of the surname Cella was Guglielmo Cella, a merchant from Milan who lived in the late 12th century. He is mentioned in a document from 1187 as having conducted trade with the city of Pisa. Another early example is Pietro Cella, a lawyer from Genoa who was active in the 13th century and is referenced in legal records from the time.
During the Renaissance period, the Cella name gained further prominence, with several notable figures emerging. One such individual was Giovan Battista Cella, a renowned sculptor from Milan who lived from 1480 to 1557. His works can be found in various churches and palaces across northern Italy.
Another significant figure was Girolamo Cella, a 16th-century physician and scholar from Genoa. He authored several medical treatises and was highly regarded for his contributions to the field of anatomy.
In the 17th century, the Cella name became associated with the town of Cella Monte, located in the province of Alessandria, Piedmont. This area was once known as Cella Monti, which may have influenced the spelling and pronunciation of the surname.
Throughout history, other notable individuals with the surname Cella include Paolo Cella, a 15th-century painter from Venice; Claudio Cella, a 16th-century architect from Ferrara; and Lorenzo Cella, a 17th-century composer and musician from Naples.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Cella
Among Census respondents with the surname Cella, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.7%) and Two or More Races (2.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Cella 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 Cella surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.1% · 1,949
- Hispanic or Latino5.7% · 124
- Two or more races2.0% · 43
- Black or African American1.4% · 30
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 17
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Cella
Cella 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
#14,220
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,110
-75 bearers (-3.4%)
Per 100,000 0.72
Rank movement Down 1,318 places
2020
#13,452
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,164
+54 bearers (+2.6%)
Per 100,000 0.72
Rank movement Up 768 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #12,902 | 2,185 | 0.81 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #14,220 | 2,110 | 0.72 | -75 bearers (-3.4%) | Down 1,318 places |
| 2020 | #13,452 | 2,164 | 0.72 | +54 bearers (+2.6%) | Up 768 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 Cella 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 | #14,220 | #13,452 | 5.4% |
| Count | 2,110 | 2,164 | 2.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.72 | 0.72 | 0.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Cella bearers went from 2,110 to 2,164 (+2.6% change). The surname moved up 768 positions in the national ranking, going from #14,220 to #13,452.
FAQ
Cella surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Cella?
Name Census estimates that about 2,482 living Americans carry the surname Cella. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 138,096 residents.
How common is Cella?
Cella ranks #13,452 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.72 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,164 people with the surname Cella. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,482), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.72 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.72 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Cella.
Has Cella become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Cella went from 2,110 recorded bearers to 2,164. That is an increase of 54 (+2.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #14,220 to #13,452.
What does the Census say about the background of Cella?
Among Census respondents with the surname Cella, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.7%) and Two or More Races (2.0%). 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 Cella in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.1% (1,949 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Cella appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.1%), Hispanic (5.7%), Two or More Races (2.0%). 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 Cella (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 Cella mean?
An Italian occupational surname referring to a storeroom worker or one who managed a pantry or cellar. 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 Cella (0.72 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 last name Cella?
For a quick modern take, check how many Americans have the surname Cella on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.