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

Gentilella, 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 Gentilella surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Gentilella in America

Gentilella is the 105600th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Gentilella surname appeared 169 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 Gentilella.

We can also compare 2010 data for Gentilella 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 Gentilella

The surname Gentilella has its origins in Italy, specifically in the southern regions of the country during the late medieval period. It is believed to be derived from the Italian word "gentile," which means "noble" or "well-born." The suffix "-ella" is a diminutive form, suggesting a connection to a smaller or lesser version of something noble.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Gentilella can be found in a 14th-century document from the city of Naples. In this record, a man named Giovanni Gentilella is mentioned as a landowner in the surrounding countryside. This suggests that the name was already well-established in the region at that time.

During the Renaissance period, the name Gentilella appears in several historical documents from the regions of Campania and Calabria. In a 1492 manuscript from the town of Salerno, a certain Francesca Gentilella is listed as a member of a prominent local family. Another notable reference is found in a 1524 record from the city of Cosenza, where a man named Niccolò Gentilella is mentioned as a respected merchant and civic leader.

As the name spread throughout the Italian peninsula, variations in spelling emerged, such as Gentilella, Gentilelle, and Gentilelli. These variations likely arose due to regional dialects and differences in pronunciation.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Gentilella outside of Italy dates back to the late 16th century. In a 1589 document from the Spanish city of Barcelona, a man named Antonio Gentilella is listed as a merchant from the Kingdom of Naples who had settled in the city.

Throughout the centuries, several notable individuals have carried the surname Gentilella. One of the earliest was Girolamo Gentilella (1558-1621), a renowned painter from Naples who was known for his religious works and portraits of nobility. Another notable figure was Vincenzo Gentilella (1673-1745), a Baroque architect from Calabria who designed several churches and palaces in the region.

In the 19th century, Raffaele Gentilella (1832-1908) was a prominent lawyer and politician from Naples who served as a member of the Italian parliament. Another notable bearer of the name was Emilia Gentilella (1873-1952), an educator and women's rights activist from Salerno who campaigned for universal suffrage and equal educational opportunities.

One of the most recent notable individuals with the surname Gentilella was Antonio Gentilella (1914-1988), a renowned chef and restaurateur from Campania who was instrumental in popularizing traditional Neapolitan cuisine around the world.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Gentilella

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

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

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

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