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

Failla, 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 Failla surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Failla in America

Failla is the 16219th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Failla surname appeared 1,780 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Failla.

We can also compare 2010 data for Failla 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 Failla

The surname Failla has its origins in Italy, specifically in the regions of Sicily and Calabria. It is derived from the Latin word "falarica," which refers to a type of incendiary missile used in ancient warfare. The name is believed to have emerged during the Middle Ages, around the 11th or 12th century.

The earliest recorded instances of the name Failla can be found in historical documents and records from the southern Italian regions. One of the earliest known bearers of this surname was Matteo Failla, a nobleman from Palermo, Sicily, who lived in the 13th century.

In the 14th century, the Failla family gained prominence in the city of Messina, Sicily. Records from this period mention several members of the family holding important positions within the local government and society. One notable figure was Giovanni Failla, a merchant and landowner who lived in the late 14th century.

The name Failla also has connections to various place names in Sicily and Calabria. For instance, the town of Failla in the province of Agrigento, Sicily, is believed to have derived its name from the surname itself.

Throughout history, several individuals with the surname Failla have achieved notable accomplishments. One such person was Domenico Failla, a Sicilian philosopher and theologian who lived from 1598 to 1670. He made significant contributions to the fields of metaphysics and natural philosophy.

Another prominent bearer of the name was Michele Failla, an Italian-American physicist who lived from 1892 to 1973. He was a pioneer in the field of radiation biology and made important contributions to the study of radioactivity and its effects on living organisms.

In the 20th century, Angelo Failla (1878-1950) was a renowned Italian-American sculptor and artist. He is best known for his monumental public sculptures and works adorning various buildings and public spaces in New York City.

Additionally, the name Failla has been associated with the wine industry in Sicily. The Failla family has been involved in winemaking for generations, producing wines from their vineyards in the region.

Lastly, Francesco Failla (1808-1892) was an Italian painter and art restorer who worked on numerous religious and historical artworks, including frescoes and altarpieces in churches throughout Sicily.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Failla

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!