2000
#7,638
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,014
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.49
Rare Last name
Colella
An Italian occupational surname referring to a maker or seller of glue or a nickname for a boastful person.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,782 Americans carry the last name Colella. That puts it at #9,440 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.10 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 90,628 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Colella 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 Colella with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.8K
1 in 90,628
Census rank
#9,440
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,298 bearers of the surname Colella in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.10 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9440th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Colella, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.3%) and Two or More Races (1.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Colella
The surname Colella has its origins in Italy, specifically in the southern regions of Campania and Calabria. It is believed to have emerged in the late medieval period, around the 13th or 14th century.
One theory suggests that the name Colella is derived from the Latin word "collis," meaning "hill" or "elevated ground." This could indicate that the surname was initially associated with individuals residing in hilly or mountainous areas. Alternatively, it may have been a descriptive surname referring to a physical characteristic or occupation related to hills or elevation.
In some historical records, the name appears with slight variations in spelling, such as Collella or Colilla. These variations were common in the past due to inconsistencies in record-keeping and regional dialects.
One of the earliest documented appearances of the surname Colella can be found in the "Codice Diplomatico Barese," a collection of medieval documents from the Province of Bari, dating back to the 12th century. This suggests that the name was already established in southern Italy during that time period.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the surname Colella. For instance, Fabio Colella (1630-1694) was an Italian painter and engraver active during the Baroque period. His works can be found in various churches and museums across Italy.
Another individual of note was Giacomo Colella (1658-1719), an Italian architect and engineer who contributed to the design and construction of several notable buildings in Naples and the surrounding areas.
In the 19th century, Giuseppe Colella (1821-1902) was an Italian politician and writer from the region of Campania. He served as a member of the Italian Parliament and published several works on political and social topics.
The name Colella also has connections to certain place names in southern Italy. For example, there is a town called Colella in the province of Avellino, located in the Campania region. This town's name likely shares the same linguistic roots as the surname.
Furthermore, Antonio Colella (1881-1957) was an Italian-American labor organizer and activist who played a significant role in the establishment of the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) labor union in the early 20th century.
While the surname Colella is predominantly found in Italy, it has also spread to other parts of the world through immigration. However, its origins and historical significance remain firmly rooted in the southern Italian regions of Campania and Calabria.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Colella
Among Census respondents with the surname Colella, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.3%) and Two or More Races (1.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Colella 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 Colella surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.0% · 3,068
- Hispanic or Latino4.3% · 143
- Two or more races1.2% · 40
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 31
- Black or African American0.5% · 15
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Colella
Colella 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
#7,971
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,150
+136 bearers (+3.4%)
Per 100,000 1.41
Rank movement Down 333 places
2020
#9,440
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,298
-852 bearers (-20.5%)
Per 100,000 1.10
Rank movement Down 1,469 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,638 | 4,014 | 1.49 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,971 | 4,150 | 1.41 | +136 bearers (+3.4%) | Down 333 places |
| 2020 | #9,440 | 3,298 | 1.10 | -852 bearers (-20.5%) | Down 1,469 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 Colella 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 | #7,971 | #9,440 | -18.4% |
| Count | 4,150 | 3,298 | -20.5% |
| Per 100K | 1.41 | 1.10 | -21.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Colella bearers went from 4,150 to 3,298 (-20.5% change). The surname moved down 1,469 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,971 to #9,440.
FAQ
Colella surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Colella?
Name Census estimates that about 3,782 living Americans carry the surname Colella. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 90,628 residents.
How common is Colella?
Colella ranks #9,440 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.10 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 3,298 people with the surname Colella. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,782), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.1 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.10 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 Colella.
Has Colella become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Colella went from 4,150 recorded bearers to 3,298. That is a decrease of 852 (-20.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #7,971 to #9,440.
What does the Census say about the background of Colella?
Among Census respondents with the surname Colella, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.3%) and Two or More Races (1.2%). 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 Colella in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.0% (3,068 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Colella appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.0%), Hispanic (4.3%), Two or More Races (1.2%). 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 Colella (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 Colella mean?
An Italian occupational surname referring to a maker or seller of glue or a nickname for a boastful person. 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 Colella (1.10 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 share the surname Colella?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.