2010
#158,432
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.03
Very Rare Last name
Mendolla
A variant spelling of the Spanish surname "Mendoza", referring to someone from the town of Mendoza.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 118 Americans carry the last name Mendolla. That puts it at #154,182 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,904,698 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mendolla 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
118
1 in 2,904,698
Census rank
#154,182
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
103
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 103 bearers of the surname Mendolla in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 154182nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mendolla, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 64.1%. The next largest groups are White (27.2%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (5.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mendolla
The surname Mendolla originated in Spain, specifically in the region of Catalonia. It is believed to have derived from the Latin word "mendicus," which means "beggar" or "poor person." The earliest recorded instances of the name date back to the 11th century.
During the Middle Ages, Mendolla was a fairly common surname among the lower classes in Catalonia. It is likely that the name was initially given as a nickname or descriptive term to individuals who were beggars or lived in poverty.
One of the earliest known references to the name Mendolla can be found in a 12th-century manuscript from the Monastery of Ripoll, which mentions a person named Pere Mendolla. This document suggests that the name had already become established as a surname in that region by that time.
In the 13th century, there are records of a family called Mendolla residing in the town of Vilafranca del Penedès, located in the province of Barcelona. This family is believed to have played a significant role in the local community, with some members holding positions of authority.
As the name spread throughout Spain, variations in spelling emerged, such as Mendola, Mendola, and Mendoça. These variations were likely due to regional dialects and different phonetic interpretations of the original name.
One notable figure with the surname Mendolla was Jaume Mendolla, a 14th-century merchant from Barcelona who established trade routes with Italy and the Mediterranean region. His success in business and entrepreneurship contributed to the name's association with commerce and trade.
In the 16th century, a prominent military leader named Rodrigo Mendolla fought in the Spanish conquest of the Americas. He is recorded as having participated in various campaigns and battles, earning recognition for his bravery and strategic abilities.
Another individual of note was María Mendolla, a 17th-century writer and poet from Valencia. She published a collection of poems that explored themes of love, nature, and spirituality, earning her recognition among literary circles of her time.
During the 18th century, a renowned artist named Juan Mendolla gained acclaim for his beautiful oil paintings depicting religious scenes and portraits of the Spanish nobility. His works are still exhibited in some of Spain's most prestigious art museums.
In the 19th century, a famous explorer and naturalist named Antonio Mendolla embarked on several expeditions to the Americas, documenting his findings and contributing to the field of natural history.
While the surname Mendolla is still found in Spain today, particularly in Catalonia and surrounding regions, it has also spread to other parts of the world through emigration and diaspora communities.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mendolla
Among Census respondents with the surname Mendolla, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 64.1%. The next largest groups are White (27.2%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (5.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Mendolla 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 Mendolla surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino64.1% · 66
- White27.2% · 28
- American Indian and Alaska Native5.8% · 6
- Black or African American2.9% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mendolla
Mendolla 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
#154,182
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
+1 bearers (+1.0%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Up 4,250 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #158,432 | 102 | 0.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #154,182 | 103 | 0.03 | +1 bearers (+1.0%) | Up 4,250 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 Mendolla 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 | #158,432 | #154,182 | 2.7% |
| Count | 102 | 103 | 1.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.03 | 14.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mendolla bearers went from 102 to 103 (+1.0% change). The surname moved up 4,250 positions in the national ranking, going from #158,432 to #154,182.
FAQ
Mendolla surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mendolla?
Name Census estimates that about 118 living Americans carry the surname Mendolla. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,904,698 residents.
How common is Mendolla?
Mendolla ranks #154,182 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 103 people with the surname Mendolla. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (118), 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 Mendolla.
Has Mendolla become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mendolla went from 102 recorded bearers to 103. That is an increase of 1 (+1.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #158,432 to #154,182.
What does the Census say about the background of Mendolla?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mendolla, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 64.1%. The next largest groups are White (27.2%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (5.8%). 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?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Mendolla in the 2020 Census, accounting for 64.1% (66 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mendolla appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (64.1%), White (27.2%), American Indian/Alaska Native (5.8%). 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 Mendolla (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 Mendolla mean?
A variant spelling of the Spanish surname "Mendoza", referring to someone from the town of Mendoza. 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 Mendolla (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 surname Mendolla?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.