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

Minella, 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 Minella surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Minella in America

Minella is the 41164th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Minella surname appeared 529 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 Minella.

We can also compare 2010 data for Minella 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 Minella

The surname Minella has its origins in Italy. It is believed to have derived from the Latin word "minor," meaning smaller or lesser. The name likely emerged as a way to distinguish between two individuals or families, with the "Minella" being used to identify the smaller or less significant branch.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Minella can be traced back to the 13th century in the town of Bari, located in the southern Italian region of Apulia. A document from 1286 references a landowner named Giovanni Minella, who held a small parcel of property near the town's outskirts.

In the 14th century, the Minella name appears in several historical records from the city of Naples. A merchant named Francesco Minella is mentioned in a trade agreement dated 1345, suggesting that the family had established a presence in the thriving maritime community.

As the name spread throughout the Italian peninsula, variations in spelling began to emerge, including Mineli, Minello, and Minelli. These alternative forms were often influenced by local dialects and pronunciation patterns.

One notable individual bearing the Minella name was Giacomo Minella, a Renaissance-era painter born in Palermo, Sicily, in 1472. He is best known for his religious frescoes adorning several churches in his native city.

Another prominent figure was Antonio Minella, a 16th-century architect from Naples who contributed to the design of several prominent buildings, including the Palazzo Reale and the Castel Nuovo.

In the 18th century, the Minella family produced a respected scholar and philosopher, Carlo Minella, born in Rome in 1714. His writings on ethics and political theory garnered widespread recognition during the Enlightenment period.

As the centuries progressed, the Minella name spread beyond Italy's borders, with individuals bearing the surname migrating to other parts of Europe and eventually to the Americas. One such individual was Giuseppe Minella, a composer from Milan who settled in Paris in the early 19th century and composed several operas that were performed in the French capital.

Despite its relatively modest origins, the Minella surname has left an indelible mark on various aspects of Italian history, from art and architecture to philosophy and music. While the name may not be as widespread as some other Italian surnames, it remains a testament to the rich cultural tapestry that has shaped the Italian peninsula over the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Minella

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

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

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

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