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

Dela, 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 Dela surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Dela in America

Dela is the 30600th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Dela surname appeared 762 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 Dela.

We can also compare 2010 data for Dela 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 Dela

The surname DELA has its origins in Spain, with the earliest recorded instances dating back to the 13th century. It is derived from the Spanish preposition "de la," meaning "of the" or "from the," suggesting that the name originally referred to a person's place of origin or residence. This naming convention was common during the Middle Ages when surnames were emerging as a way to distinguish individuals within growing populations.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the DELA surname can be found in the Repartimiento de Sevilla, a document from 1283 that recorded the distribution of lands and properties among the conquerors of Seville after the Christian reconquest of the city from the Moors. This document lists several individuals with the surname DELA, indicating its presence in Andalusia at that time.

During the 14th and 15th centuries, the DELA surname appeared in various regions of Spain, including Catalonia, Aragon, and Castile. It was often associated with specific place names, such as Dela Cruz, Dela Torre, or Dela Vega, further emphasizing the connection between the surname and a person's geographic origin.

Notable historical figures with the DELA surname include Juan Dela Cerda (c. 1275-1322), a Spanish nobleman and military leader who played a crucial role in the Reconquista, the centuries-long struggle to retake the Iberian Peninsula from the Moors. Another prominent individual was Pedro Dela Gasca (1493-1567), a Spanish priest and diplomat who was sent to Peru to quell the rebellion of Gonzalo Pizarro against the Spanish crown.

In the 16th century, the DELA surname spread beyond Spain's borders as Spanish explorers, settlers, and colonists ventured into the Americas and other parts of the world. One significant figure was Juan Dela Cruz (1542-1591), a Spanish Catholic priest and mystic who lived in Mexico and is revered as a saint in the Catholic Church.

As the Spanish Empire expanded, the DELA surname was carried to various colonies and territories, including the Philippines, where it became a common surname among the Filipino population. One notable Filipino bearer of the name was Andrés Dela Cruz (1810-1877), a revolutionary leader who fought against Spanish colonial rule in the Philippine Revolution.

Throughout history, the DELA surname has been subject to various spelling variations, such as De La, Dela, or even Delacruz, reflecting the influence of regional dialects and linguistic evolutions. However, its core meaning and connection to a person's geographic origin have remained a consistent theme.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Dela

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

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

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

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