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

Escala, 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 Escala surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Escala in America

Escala is the 66931st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Escala surname appeared 295 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 Escala.

We can also compare 2010 data for Escala 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 Escala

The surname Escala is of Spanish origin, tracing its roots back to the medieval period in the Iberian Peninsula. It is derived from the Spanish word "escala," which means "scale" or "ladder." This connection suggests that the name may have originally referred to an occupation or a location associated with scales or ladders.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Escala surname can be found in the Catalonian region of Spain, where it appears in various historical documents from the 13th and 14th centuries. The name was particularly prevalent in the coastal areas of Catalonia, possibly indicating a connection to maritime or trade-related activities.

During the 15th century, the Escala surname gained prominence in the Kingdom of Aragon, which included parts of present-day eastern Spain and the Mediterranean islands. Notable individuals bearing this name during this period include Pedro Escala, a merchant and ship owner from Barcelona, who lived between 1420 and 1489.

As the Spanish Empire expanded its reach across the Atlantic, the Escala surname traveled with the conquistadors and settlers to the New World. One of the earliest recorded instances in the Americas is that of Juan Escala, a Spanish soldier and explorer who participated in the conquest of Mexico alongside Hernán Cortés in the early 16th century.

In the 17th century, the Escala family established themselves in various parts of Spanish America, particularly in regions such as Colombia, Venezuela, and Mexico. Sebastián Escala, a prominent landowner and rancher in the Yucatán Peninsula, Mexico, lived from 1625 to 1698 and was known for his contributions to the local agriculture and cattle industry.

The Escala surname also found its way to the Philippine Islands, which were part of the Spanish East Indies during the colonial era. One notable figure was Miguel Escala, a Spanish-born priest and educator who lived from 1770 to 1840 and was instrumental in establishing several educational institutions in the Philippines.

In more recent times, the Escala name has continued to be associated with notable individuals across various fields. For example, Antonio Escala y Sosa (1898-1967) was a renowned Cuban poet and essayist, while Jaime Escala (1930-2002) was a prominent Chilean architect and urban planner.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Escala

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

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

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

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