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

Fila, 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 Fila surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Fila in America

Fila is the 42094th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Fila surname appeared 516 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 Fila.

We can also compare 2010 data for Fila 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 Fila

The surname Fila is believed to have originated in Italy, specifically in the northern regions of Lombardy and Veneto, during the late medieval period around the 13th or 14th century. It is thought to be derived from the Italian word "fila," meaning "row" or "line," possibly referring to a person who lived on a specific street or row of houses.

In ancient records, the name Fila appears in various forms, such as Figlia, Figlii, and Figlio, which are all variations of the Italian word "figlio," meaning "son." These early spellings suggest that the name may have initially been a patronymic, referring to a person's lineage or relationship to their father or ancestors.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Fila can be found in the Codice Diplomatico Padovano, a collection of historical documents from the city of Padua, dating back to the 13th century. In this document, a certain "Fila de Padua" is mentioned as a witness to a legal transaction.

Throughout the centuries, several notable individuals have borne the surname Fila. One such person was Antonio Fila (1590-1654), an Italian painter and architect from Bergamo, renowned for his works in churches and palaces across northern Italy.

Another prominent figure was Domenico Fila (1768-1832), an Italian mathematician and astronomer from Genoa. He made significant contributions to the study of celestial mechanics and was a member of the prestigious Royal Academy of Sciences in Turin.

In the 19th century, Giuseppe Fila (1813-1876) was an Italian sculptor and artist from Milan. He is best known for his sculptures adorning the façade of the Duomo di Milano, one of the largest and most iconic cathedrals in Italy.

Towards the end of the 19th century, Enrico Fila (1865-1923) was an Italian businessman and entrepreneur from Biella, who founded the successful textile company "Fila" in 1911, which later became a globally recognized sportswear brand.

In the field of literature, Vincenzo Fila (1916-1999) was an Italian poet and writer from Naples. He published numerous collections of poetry and prose, exploring themes of love, nostalgia, and the human condition.

While the surname Fila has its roots in Italy, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and cultural exchanges. However, the Italian heritage and origins of this name remain an integral part of its rich historical narrative.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Fila

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

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

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

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