Isola last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Isola

Italian surname meaning "island" or "isolated place."

Isola, 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 Isola surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Isola in America

Isola is the 23978th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Isola surname appeared 1,052 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 Isola.

We can also compare 2010 data for Isola 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.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 23978 23530 1.89%
Count 1,052 1,006 4.47%
Proportion per 100k 0.36 0.37 -2.74%

The history of the last name Isola

The surname Isola is of Italian origin, tracing its roots back to the Mediterranean region. It is believed to have originated in the 13th or 14th century, deriving from the Italian word "isola," which means "island." This suggests that the name was likely first borne by individuals who hailed from an island or lived in close proximity to one.

The earliest recorded instances of the Isola surname can be found in various historical documents from the Italian city-states during the Renaissance period. For example, the name appears in the archives of the Republic of Venice, which controlled numerous islands in the Adriatic Sea and Aegean Sea. Additionally, the Isola name is mentioned in records from the maritime cities of Genoa and Pisa, both known for their seafaring traditions and island connections.

One notable bearer of the Isola surname was Giovanni Isola, a Venetian merchant and explorer who lived in the late 15th century. He is credited with being one of the first Europeans to establish trade relations with the island of Cyprus, then under Venetian control. Another individual of historical significance was Gerolamo Isola, a 16th-century Italian architect and engineer from Genoa, who designed several fortifications and structures on the island of Corsica.

In the 17th century, the Isola name gained prominence in Sicily, particularly in the city of Palermo. Francesco Isola (1587-1661) was a renowned Sicilian painter and architect who contributed to the development of the Baroque style in Italy. His works can be found in churches and palaces throughout Palermo and other parts of Sicily.

The Isola surname also has a connection to the island of Sardinia, where it was borne by various families over the centuries. One notable figure was Antonio Isola (1761-1833), a Sardinian lawyer and politician who played a significant role in the island's struggle for independence from the Kingdom of Sardinia in the early 19th century.

Moving into the modern era, the name Isola has been carried by several notable individuals, including Italian-American actor and filmmaker Emanuele Isola (1903-1986), known for his work in classic Hollywood films, and Italian footballer Gianluigi Isola (born 1970), who played for several Serie A clubs in the 1990s and early 2000s.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Isola

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

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 Isola was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 86.31% 908
Non-Hispanic Black Only 4.56% 48
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 1.81% 19
Hispanic Origin 5.89% 62

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 Isola has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 86.31% 89.56% -3.70%
Black 4.56% 4.17% 8.93%
Asian and Pacific Islander (S)% (S)% (S)%
American Indian and Alaskan Native (S)% (S)% (S)%
Two or More Races 1.81% 2.09% -14.36%
Hispanic 5.89% 3.08% 62.65%

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

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

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"Isola last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on December 22, 2024. http://namecensus.com/last-names/isola-surname-popularity/.

"Isola last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/isola-surname-popularity/. Accessed 22 December, 2024

Isola last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/isola-surname-popularity/.

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