2010
#159,712
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.03
Very Rare Last name
Folga
A topographic surname referring to an open field or meadow.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 112 Americans carry the last name Folga. That puts it at #156,269 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 3,060,307 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Folga 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
112
1 in 3,060,307
Census rank
#156,269
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
98
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 98 bearers of the surname Folga in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 156269th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Folga, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.1%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Folga
The surname Folga has its origins in the Italian region of Lazio, specifically in the area around the city of Rome. The name can be traced back to the 13th century, derived from the Latin word "folga," which means "breath" or "respite."
In the early medieval period, the name Folga was commonly found in records and documents related to the Roman aristocracy and clergy. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in a Vatican manuscript from the year 1278, which mentions a nobleman named Giacomo Folga.
During the Renaissance, the name gained prominence in the artistic circles of Rome. Notably, a famous painter named Girolamo Folga (1498-1568) was commissioned to create frescoes in several churches, including the Basilica of St. Peter.
In the 17th century, the Folga family established themselves as successful merchants and traders in the city of Rome. Historical records from this period mention a wealthy trader named Pietro Folga (1621-1692), who owned several warehouses and ships.
As the name spread beyond Rome, it can be found in various forms and spellings across different regions of Italy. For instance, in the northern city of Turin, the name was sometimes spelled as "Folgia" or "Folghi."
One notable figure with the surname Folga was Alessandro Folga (1734-1805), a renowned architect from Verona who designed several churches and palaces throughout northern Italy. His most famous work is the Palazzo Folga, a grand residence that still stands in Verona's historic center.
Another significant person with this surname was Maria Folga (1872-1938), a prominent activist and feminist from Naples. She played a crucial role in advocating for women's rights and suffrage in Italy during the early 20th century.
While the surname Folga is not as common today as it once was, it has left a lasting impact on Italian history and culture, with its roots firmly embedded in the rich heritage of the Roman region.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Folga
Among Census respondents with the surname Folga, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.1%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Folga 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 Folga surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.9% · 91
- Hispanic or Latino5.1% · 5
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Folga
Folga appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#156,269
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 98
-3 bearers (-3.0%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Up 3,443 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #159,712 | 101 | 0.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #156,269 | 98 | 0.03 | -3 bearers (-3.0%) | Up 3,443 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 Folga 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 | #159,712 | #156,269 | 2.2% |
| Count | 101 | 98 | -3.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.03 | 9.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Folga bearers went from 101 to 98 (-3.0% change). The surname moved up 3,443 positions in the national ranking, going from #159,712 to #156,269.
FAQ
Folga surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Folga?
Name Census estimates that about 112 living Americans carry the surname Folga. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 3,060,307 residents.
How common is Folga?
Folga ranks #156,269 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 98 people with the surname Folga. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (112), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Folga.
Has Folga become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Folga went from 101 recorded bearers to 98. That is a decrease of 3 (-3.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #159,712 to #156,269.
What does the Census say about the background of Folga?
Among Census respondents with the surname Folga, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.1%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%). 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 Folga in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.9% (91 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Folga appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.9%), Hispanic (5.1%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%). 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 Folga (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 Folga mean?
A topographic surname referring to an open field or meadow. 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 Folga (0.03 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 Folga?
Want to know how many people have the last name Folga? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.