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

Felise, 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 Felise surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Felise in America

Felise is the 123064th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Felise surname appeared 140 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 Felise.

The history of the last name Felise

The surname Felise originated in Italy during the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Italian word "felice," which means "happy" or "fortunate." The name was initially used as a descriptive nickname for someone with a cheerful or joyous disposition.

Felise is thought to have its roots in the region of Tuscany, where it first appeared in historical records dating back to the 13th century. Early variations of the spelling included Felisi, Felicie, and Feliciano. These variations reflect the linguistic influence of different Italian dialects across various regions.

One of the earliest documented references to the name Felise can be found in the Florentine tax records of 1283, where a certain Guido Felise is mentioned as a landowner in the city's outskirts. This suggests that the family had already established itself within the Florentine society by that time.

During the Renaissance period, several individuals bearing the surname Felise gained prominence in various fields. Notable among them was Giovanni Felise (1472-1537), a renowned painter and sculptor from Siena. His works can be found adorning churches and palaces throughout Tuscany, showcasing his mastery of Renaissance art.

Another prominent figure was Bartolomeo Felise (1540-1612), a Venetian diplomat and historian. He served as the ambassador of the Venetian Republic to several European courts and authored several influential works on diplomacy and statecraft.

In the 17th century, the Felise family expanded its influence beyond Italy. Pietro Felise (1605-1678), a merchant and adventurer from Florence, established trade routes to the Middle East and India. His travels and business acumen contributed to the family's wealth and reputation.

During the 18th century, the Felise name made its mark in the world of academia. Giuseppe Felise (1714-1792) was a renowned philosopher and mathematician from Naples. He was a professor at the University of Naples and authored several treatises on mathematics and logic that were widely studied across Europe.

In more recent times, the surname Felise has been carried by notable individuals such as Mario Felise (1892-1962), an Italian-American artist and sculptor whose works adorned public spaces in New York City, and Alessandra Felise (born 1976), a contemporary Italian author and journalist known for her explorations of cultural identity and societal issues.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Felise

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

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 Felise 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.

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

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Felise, 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!