2000
#18,994
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,327
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.49
Rare Last name
Feola
An Italian surname likely derived from the Italian word for "grass" or "fodder."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,463 Americans carry the last name Feola. That puts it at #20,949 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.43 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 234,282 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Feola 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
1.5K
1 in 234,282
Census rank
#20,949
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,276 bearers of the surname Feola in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.43 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 20949th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Feola, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.0%) and Two or More Races (2.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Feola
The surname Feola has its origins in Italy, specifically in the southern regions of Campania and Calabria. It is believed to have emerged during the Middle Ages, around the 11th or 12th century. The name is derived from the Italian word "feola," which means "hay" or "straw." This suggests that the original bearers of the name may have been involved in agricultural activities, particularly in the cultivation or trade of hay or straw.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the Feola surname can be found in historical documents from the city of Naples, dating back to the 14th century. These records indicate that the Feola family was a prominent noble family in the region, with members holding influential positions within the Neapolitan court and society.
In the 15th century, a branch of the Feola family migrated to the nearby city of Salerno, where they established themselves as landowners and merchants. One notable figure from this period was Giovanni Feola, a successful merchant who was involved in the silk trade with the Ottoman Empire.
During the Renaissance period, the Feola surname gained further recognition through the works of several artists and scholars. Giulio Feola (1515-1587) was a renowned painter from Naples, known for his religious artworks and frescoes adorning churches throughout the city. Tommaso Feola (1563-1639), on the other hand, was a celebrated philosopher and theologian who taught at the University of Naples.
In the 17th century, the Feola name appeared in various historical records from the Kingdom of Naples, including land registries and census documents. One notable figure from this era was Girolamo Feola (1623-1691), a military commander who served in the Neapolitan army during the Wars of Castro.
As the Feola family continued to spread across Italy and beyond, their name became associated with various place names and variations in spelling. For instance, in the town of Feroleto Antico, located in the province of Catanzaro, Calabria, the name Feola is believed to have derived from the local toponym, reflecting the family's connection to that particular region.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have carried the Feola surname, including Vincenzo Feola (1859-1933), an Italian politician and lawyer who served as a deputy in the Italian Parliament, and Gennaro Feola (1900-1977), a renowned Italian architect and urban planner responsible for the design of several prestigious buildings in Naples.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Feola
Among Census respondents with the surname Feola, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.0%) and Two or More Races (2.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Feola 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 Feola surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.6% · 1,118
- Hispanic or Latino9.0% · 115
- Two or more races2.0% · 25
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 12
- Black or African American0.3% · 4
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Feola
Feola 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
#20,019
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,337
+10 bearers (+0.8%)
Per 100,000 0.45
Rank movement Down 1,025 places
2020
#20,949
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,276
-61 bearers (-4.6%)
Per 100,000 0.43
Rank movement Down 930 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #18,994 | 1,327 | 0.49 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #20,019 | 1,337 | 0.45 | +10 bearers (+0.8%) | Down 1,025 places |
| 2020 | #20,949 | 1,276 | 0.43 | -61 bearers (-4.6%) | Down 930 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 Feola 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 | #20,019 | #20,949 | -4.6% |
| Count | 1,337 | 1,276 | -4.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.45 | 0.43 | -5.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Feola bearers went from 1,337 to 1,276 (-4.6% change). The surname moved down 930 positions in the national ranking, going from #20,019 to #20,949.
FAQ
Feola surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Feola?
Name Census estimates that about 1,463 living Americans carry the surname Feola. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 234,282 residents.
How common is Feola?
Feola ranks #20,949 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.43 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 1,276 people with the surname Feola. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,463), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.43 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.43 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 Feola.
Has Feola become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Feola went from 1,337 recorded bearers to 1,276. That is a decrease of 61 (-4.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #20,019 to #20,949.
What does the Census say about the background of Feola?
Among Census respondents with the surname Feola, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.0%) and Two or More Races (2.0%). 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 Feola in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.6% (1,118 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Feola appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.6%), Hispanic (9.0%), Two or More Races (2.0%). 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 Feola (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 Feola mean?
An Italian surname likely derived from the Italian word for "grass" or "fodder." 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 Feola (0.43 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 have the last name Feola?
See how many Americans have the surname Feola on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.