2000
#56,120
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 341
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.13
Very Rare Last name
Discala
Italian surname indicating someone from the town of Scala in southern Italy.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 427 Americans carry the last name Discala. That puts it at #58,829 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.12 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 802,703 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Discala 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
427
1 in 802,703
Census rank
#58,829
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
372
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 372 bearers of the surname Discala in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.12 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 58829th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Discala, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.2%) and Two or More Races (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Discala
The surname DISCALA originated in Italy during the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Italian words "di scala," which translate to "of the stairs" or "from the stairs." This suggests that the name may have been used to identify someone who lived near or worked with stairs, possibly as a builder or architect.
The earliest known recorded instance of the DISCALA surname dates back to the 13th century in the city of Naples, where it appeared in a municipal record. During this time, surnames were becoming more common as a way to distinguish between individuals with the same given name.
In the 14th century, the name DISCALA appeared in a document from the city of Palermo, Sicily, where it was spelled as "Di Scala." This variation in spelling was common during the Middle Ages, as standardized spellings had not yet been established.
One of the earliest notable individuals with the DISCALA surname was Pietro DISCALA, a Sicilian nobleman who lived in the late 15th century. He was a prominent figure in the court of King Ferdinand II of Aragon and played a significant role in the administration of the Kingdom of Sicily.
Another notable individual was Girolamo DISCALA, a 16th-century Italian painter born in Naples. He was known for his religious paintings and frescoes, many of which can still be found in churches throughout southern Italy.
In the 17th century, the DISCALA surname appeared in various records from the city of Genoa, where it was sometimes spelled as "Discalzi." One notable figure from this time period was Andrea DISCALA, a Genoese merchant and trader who was involved in the lucrative spice trade between Europe and the East Indies.
During the 18th century, the DISCALA surname spread throughout Italy and beyond. Francesco DISCALA, born in 1745 in Naples, was a renowned mathematician and astronomer who made significant contributions to the field of celestial mechanics.
Another notable individual was Vincenzo DISCALA, a 19th-century Italian composer and conductor from Palermo. He is best known for his operas and sacred works, which were widely performed throughout Italy during his lifetime.
While the DISCALA surname originated in Italy, it has since spread to other parts of the world due to migration and immigration. However, the name's roots can be traced back to the medieval period in Italy, where it was likely associated with individuals who worked with or lived near stairs.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Discala
Among Census respondents with the surname Discala, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.2%) and Two or More Races (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Discala 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 Discala surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.5% · 333
- Hispanic or Latino6.2% · 23
- Two or more races1.9% · 7
- Black or African American1.1% · 4
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.1% · 4
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Discala
Discala 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
#54,864
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 375
+34 bearers (+10.0%)
Per 100,000 0.13
Rank movement Up 1,256 places
2020
#58,829
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 372
-3 bearers (-0.8%)
Per 100,000 0.12
Rank movement Down 3,965 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #56,120 | 341 | 0.13 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #54,864 | 375 | 0.13 | +34 bearers (+10.0%) | Up 1,256 places |
| 2020 | #58,829 | 372 | 0.12 | -3 bearers (-0.8%) | Down 3,965 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 Discala 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 | #54,864 | #58,829 | -7.2% |
| Count | 375 | 372 | -0.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.13 | 0.12 | -4.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Discala bearers went from 375 to 372 (-0.8% change). The surname moved down 3,965 positions in the national ranking, going from #54,864 to #58,829.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Discala
FAQ
Discala surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Discala?
Name Census estimates that about 427 living Americans carry the surname Discala. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 802,703 residents.
How common is Discala?
Discala ranks #58,829 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.12 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 372 people with the surname Discala. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (427), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.12 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.12 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 Discala.
Has Discala become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Discala went from 375 recorded bearers to 372. That is a decrease of 3 (-0.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #54,864 to #58,829.
What does the Census say about the background of Discala?
Among Census respondents with the surname Discala, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.2%) and Two or More Races (1.9%). 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 Discala in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.5% (333 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Discala appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.5%), Hispanic (6.2%), Two or More Races (1.9%). 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 Discala (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 Discala mean?
Italian surname indicating someone from the town of Scala in southern Italy. 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 Discala (0.12 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 are called Discala?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many Americans have the surname Discala at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.