2000
#124,109
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 128
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Mignella
An Italian surname derived from "mignella" meaning a small but shapely woman.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 127 Americans carry the last name Mignella. That puts it at #148,665 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,698,853 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mignella 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
127
1 in 2,698,853
Census rank
#148,665
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
111
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 111 bearers of the surname Mignella in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 148665th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mignella, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.3%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mignella
The surname Mignella originated in Italy during the medieval period, specifically in the regions of Campania and Calabria. It is believed to be derived from the Latin word "minellus," which means "small" or "little." This suggests that the name may have initially been used as a nickname or a descriptive term for someone of small stature or a child.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Mignella can be found in a document from the city of Naples dated 1287. The document mentions a merchant named Giovanni Mignella, indicating that the name was already in use during that time.
In the 14th century, a branch of the Mignella family settled in the town of Salerno, located in the Campania region. Historical records from this period mention a nobleman named Guglielmo Mignella, who was born in 1325 and served as a local magistrate.
During the Renaissance, the Mignella name gained prominence in the arts and literature. Girolamo Mignella (1472-1538) was a renowned painter from Naples, known for his religious works and frescoes adorning churches throughout the region.
In the 17th century, the Mignella family expanded their influence to other parts of Italy. One notable figure was Antonio Mignella (1612-1684), a scholar and philosopher from Calabria who wrote extensively on metaphysics and ethics.
As the Mignella surname spread across Italy, it also underwent various spelling variations, such as Mignelli, Minella, and Minelli. These variations were often influenced by regional dialects and local pronunciations.
Another notable individual bearing the Mignella name was Vincenzo Mignella (1737-1810), a composer and musician from Naples who gained recognition for his operas and sacred music compositions.
Throughout the centuries, the Mignella surname has been associated with various professions and fields, including arts, literature, philosophy, and commerce. While the name may have originated as a descriptive term, it has become a proud part of Italian heritage, carrying the history and cultural influences of the regions it originated from.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mignella
Among Census respondents with the surname Mignella, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.3%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Mignella 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 Mignella surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White97.3% · 108
- American Indian and Alaska Native2.7% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mignella
Mignella 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
#130,610
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 130
+2 bearers (+1.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 6,501 places
2020
#148,665
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
-19 bearers (-14.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 18,055 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #124,109 | 128 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #130,610 | 130 | 0.04 | +2 bearers (+1.6%) | Down 6,501 places |
| 2020 | #148,665 | 111 | 0.04 | -19 bearers (-14.6%) | Down 18,055 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 Mignella 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 | #130,610 | #148,665 | -13.8% |
| Count | 130 | 111 | -14.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -7.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mignella bearers went from 130 to 111 (-14.6% change). The surname moved down 18,055 positions in the national ranking, going from #130,610 to #148,665.
FAQ
Mignella surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mignella?
Name Census estimates that about 127 living Americans carry the surname Mignella. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,698,853 residents.
How common is Mignella?
Mignella ranks #148,665 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 111 people with the surname Mignella. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (127), 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 Mignella.
Has Mignella become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mignella went from 130 recorded bearers to 111. That is a decrease of 19 (-14.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #130,610 to #148,665.
What does the Census say about the background of Mignella?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mignella, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.3%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (2.7%). 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 Mignella in the 2020 Census, accounting for 97.3% (108 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mignella appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (97.3%), American Indian/Alaska Native (2.7%). 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 Mignella (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 Mignella mean?
An Italian surname derived from "mignella" meaning a small but shapely woman. 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 Mignella (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 common is the surname Mignella?
See how many people have the surname Mignella on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.