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

Della, 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 Della surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Della in America

Della is the 48995th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Della surname appeared 430 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 Della.

We can also compare 2010 data for Della 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 Della

The surname DELLA originated in Italy, where it first appeared in the 12th century as a descriptive surname derived from the Italian word "della," meaning "of the." This surname was initially given to individuals who lived near a particular location or landmark, such as a town, village, or geographical feature.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname DELLA can be found in a document from the city of Florence, dated 1214, which mentions a certain "Giovanni della Torre" (John of the Tower). This suggests that the name was likely associated with someone who lived near a prominent tower or fortified structure in that city.

In the 13th century, the DELLA surname appeared in various Italian regions, including Tuscany, Lombardy, and Veneto. It was often used in conjunction with place names, such as "della Valle" (of the Valley), "della Rocca" (of the Fortress), or "della Piazza" (of the Square).

One notable historical figure with the surname DELLA was Boccaccio della Puglia (1311-1375), an Italian writer and poet from Naples who authored several works, including the epic poem "La Teseide." Another famous bearer of the name was Pietro della Valle (1586-1652), an Italian traveler and writer who documented his journeys through Asia and the Middle East.

In the 15th century, the DELLA surname gained prominence with the rise of the powerful Della Rovere family, which produced two Popes – Sixtus IV (1414-1484) and Julius II (1443-1513). Their family name derived from the Italian town of Rovere, meaning "of the Oak Tree."

Other historical figures with the surname DELLA include Benedetto della Vedova (1600-1675), an Italian painter known for his religious works, and Gioacchino della Chiesa (1836-1908), an Italian military officer and statesman who served as Prime Minister of Italy from 1908 to 1909.

Throughout its history, the surname DELLA has been subject to various spelling variations, including Delle, Delli, and Dello, reflecting regional dialects and the fluid nature of surname spellings in earlier times. However, the core meaning and origin of the name have remained unchanged, tracing its roots back to the descriptive Italian term "della," denoting one's association with a particular place or locale.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Della

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

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

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

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