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

Novela, 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 Novela surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Novela in America

Novela is the 72771st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Novela surname appeared 267 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 Novela.

We can also compare 2010 data for Novela 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 Novela

The surname Novela originated in the Spanish regions of Catalonia and Valencia during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Latin word "novella," meaning "new" or "novel." This suggests that the name may have been initially given to someone who had recently arrived in a particular area or was a newcomer.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Novela surname can be found in the 13th-century Catalan manuscript known as the "Llibre dels Fets" (Book of Deeds), which chronicles the life and reign of King James I of Aragon. This document mentions a certain Pere Novela, who was a nobleman and knight in the service of the king.

In the 14th century, another notable individual bearing the Novela surname was Arnau Novela, a prominent merchant and landowner from the city of Valencia. He is recorded in various municipal documents and property registers from that period.

During the 15th century, the Novela family had established themselves as a respected lineage in the region of Catalonia. One member, Joan Novela, was a distinguished jurist and legal scholar who served as a judge in the city of Barcelona.

In the 16th century, a branch of the Novela family migrated to the Balearic Islands, where they became influential landowners and merchants. One of the most prominent figures from this era was Guillem Novela (1525-1598), a wealthy businessman and philanthropist who contributed significantly to the development of the city of Palma de Mallorca.

Another noteworthy individual with the Novela surname was Francesc Novela (1671-1745), a Catalan writer and poet who gained recognition for his works in the Valencian language. His literary contributions helped preserve and promote the cultural heritage of the region during a time when the use of the Catalan language was suppressed.

Over the centuries, the Novela surname has spread beyond Spain and can be found in various parts of the world, particularly in Latin American countries with strong historical ties to Spanish colonization and immigration.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Novela

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

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

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

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