2010
#152,628
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Dezalia
A Sephardic Jewish surname potentially derived from the Spanish city of Zalla.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 125 Americans carry the last name Dezalia. That puts it at #150,205 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,742,035 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Dezalia 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
125
1 in 2,742,035
Census rank
#150,205
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
109
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 109 bearers of the surname Dezalia in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150205th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Dezalia, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.8%) and Hispanic (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Dezalia
The surname DEZALIA has its origins in Italy, tracing back to the late 14th century. It is believed to have originated from the Italian word "desalio," which means "to spring up" or "to emerge," likely referring to a person who lived in a newly established settlement or village.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in a document from the city of Florence, dated 1398, where a certain Giovanni DEZALIA is mentioned as a merchant and landowner. Another early reference is in a manuscript from the town of Siena, dated 1421, which lists a family named DEZALIA among the local nobility.
In the 15th century, the name appears to have spread to other parts of Italy, particularly the regions of Tuscany and Emilia-Romagna. A notable bearer of the name during this period was Matteo DEZALIA (1445-1512), a renowned painter and sculptor from the city of Bologna, known for his work in churches and palaces across northern Italy.
As the centuries passed, the surname DEZALIA underwent various spelling variations, such as DEZALIO, DEZAGLI, and DEZAGLIO, reflecting the regional dialects and scribal practices of the time. One of the earliest recorded instances of the spelling DEZALIO can be found in a census record from the town of Parma, dated 1587, which lists a family with that surname.
In the 18th century, the name gained prominence with Pietro DEZALIA (1723-1804), a respected jurist and legal scholar from Venice, who served as a judge in the city's high court and authored several influential texts on maritime law.
Another notable figure was Maria DEZALIA (1782-1856), a renowned opera singer from Milan, who performed in various theaters across Europe and was particularly acclaimed for her interpretations of roles in works by composers such as Rossini and Bellini.
As the DEZALIA family spread across Italy, some members also migrated to other parts of Europe and beyond, carrying their surname with them. For instance, in the late 19th century, a branch of the family settled in Argentina, where Juan DEZALIA (1871-1938), a successful businessman and landowner, was born and raised.
Throughout its history, the surname DEZALIA has maintained a strong presence in Italy, particularly in the regions where it first emerged, and has been borne by individuals from various walks of life, including artists, scholars, merchants, and landowners.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Dezalia
Among Census respondents with the surname Dezalia, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.8%) and Hispanic (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Dezalia 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 Dezalia surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White96.3% · 105
- Two or more races1.8% · 2
- Hispanic or Latino0.9% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Dezalia
Dezalia appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#150,205
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
+2 bearers (+1.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 2,423 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #152,628 | 107 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #150,205 | 109 | 0.04 | +2 bearers (+1.9%) | Up 2,423 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 Dezalia 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 | #152,628 | #150,205 | 1.6% |
| Count | 107 | 109 | 1.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -8.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Dezalia bearers went from 107 to 109 (+1.9% change). The surname moved up 2,423 positions in the national ranking, going from #152,628 to #150,205.
FAQ
Dezalia surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Dezalia?
Name Census estimates that about 125 living Americans carry the surname Dezalia. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,742,035 residents.
How common is Dezalia?
Dezalia ranks #150,205 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 109 people with the surname Dezalia. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (125), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Dezalia.
Has Dezalia become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Dezalia went from 107 recorded bearers to 109. That is an increase of 2 (+1.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #152,628 to #150,205.
What does the Census say about the background of Dezalia?
Among Census respondents with the surname Dezalia, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.8%) and Hispanic (0.9%). 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 Dezalia in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.3% (105 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Dezalia appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (96.3%), Two or More Races (1.8%), Hispanic (0.9%). 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 Dezalia (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 Dezalia mean?
A Sephardic Jewish surname potentially derived from the Spanish city of Zalla. 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 Dezalia (0.04 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 Dezalia?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.