2000
#150,436
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 100
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Giarla
Of Italian origin, possibly referring to a person from the town of Giarola.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 126 Americans carry the last name Giarla. That puts it at #149,446 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,720,273 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Giarla 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
126
1 in 2,720,273
Census rank
#149,446
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
110
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 110 bearers of the surname Giarla in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 149446th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Giarla, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (10.9%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Giarla
The surname GIARLA is believed to have originated in Italy, likely during the medieval period. It is thought to have derived from the Italian word "giarla," which referred to a type of boat or small vessel used for fishing or transportation in coastal areas.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name GIARLA can be found in the historic records of the city of Genoa, dating back to the 14th century. These records mention several families with the surname, suggesting that the name was already established in the region at that time.
In the 15th century, the GIARLA name appears in various documents related to the maritime trade activities of the Genoese Republic. This further supports the theory that the name was initially associated with individuals involved in fishing or maritime professions.
During the Renaissance period, several notable individuals bearing the GIARLA surname emerged. One such figure was Antonio GIARLA (1450-1524), a renowned shipbuilder from Genoa who was commissioned to construct vessels for the Venetian Republic.
Another prominent figure was Francesca GIARLA (1525-1589), a celebrated poet and writer from Pisa, whose works were widely acclaimed during her lifetime.
In the 17th century, the GIARLA name appears in records from the city of Naples, where a prominent family of that name owned several fishing vessels and played a significant role in the local maritime industry.
One of the most notable individuals from this era was Gioacchino GIARLA (1670-1742), a captain in the Neapolitan navy who gained recognition for his bravery and leadership during naval battles against pirates in the Mediterranean Sea.
As the centuries passed, the GIARLA surname spread to other parts of Italy and beyond, with various branches of the family establishing themselves in different regions and occupations.
In the 19th century, Giuseppe GIARLA (1810-1887), a renowned architect from Milan, made significant contributions to the design and construction of several iconic buildings in the city, including the famous Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II.
Throughout its history, the GIARLA surname has been associated with individuals from diverse backgrounds, ranging from seafarers and shipbuilders to writers, architects, and military personnel, reflecting the rich tapestry of Italian culture and heritage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Giarla
Among Census respondents with the surname Giarla, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (10.9%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Giarla 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 Giarla surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White86.4% · 95
- Hispanic or Latino10.9% · 12
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.8% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Giarla
Giarla 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
#145,220
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
+14 bearers (+14.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 5,216 places
2020
#149,446
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
-4 bearers (-3.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 4,226 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #150,436 | 100 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #145,220 | 114 | 0.04 | +14 bearers (+14.0%) | Up 5,216 places |
| 2020 | #149,446 | 110 | 0.04 | -4 bearers (-3.5%) | Down 4,226 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 Giarla 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 | #145,220 | #149,446 | -2.9% |
| Count | 114 | 110 | -3.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -8.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Giarla bearers went from 114 to 110 (-3.5% change). The surname moved down 4,226 positions in the national ranking, going from #145,220 to #149,446.
FAQ
Giarla surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Giarla?
Name Census estimates that about 126 living Americans carry the surname Giarla. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,720,273 residents.
How common is Giarla?
Giarla ranks #149,446 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 110 people with the surname Giarla. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (126), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Giarla.
Has Giarla become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Giarla went from 114 recorded bearers to 110. That is a decrease of 4 (-3.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #145,220 to #149,446.
What does the Census say about the background of Giarla?
Among Census respondents with the surname Giarla, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (10.9%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.8%). 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 Giarla in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.4% (95 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Giarla appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (86.4%), Hispanic (10.9%), American Indian/Alaska Native (1.8%). 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 Giarla (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 Giarla mean?
Of Italian origin, possibly referring to a person from the town of Giarola. 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 Giarla (0.04 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 surname Giarla?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.