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

Polla, 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 Polla surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Polla in America

Polla is the 152628th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Polla surname appeared 107 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 Polla.

We can also compare 2010 data for Polla 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 Polla

The surname POLLA originated in Italy, with its earliest known use dating back to the late 14th century. The name is believed to be derived from the Latin word "pullus," meaning "young bird" or "chick." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to a person who bred or raised poultry, or perhaps someone with a youthful or childlike appearance or demeanor.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the POLLA surname can be found in the tax records of the Venetian Republic from the year 1379, where a certain "Nicolò Polla" is listed as a taxpayer. The name also appears in various medieval documents from the regions of Veneto, Lombardy, and Emilia-Romagna.

In the 15th century, the POLLA surname gained some prominence in the city of Treviso, where a family of that name played a significant role in local politics and governance. Notably, a certain Bartolomeo Polla served as a prominent magistrate and ambassador for the city in the latter half of the 1400s.

As the centuries passed, the POLLA surname spread to other parts of Italy, with notable bearers emerging in various fields. In the 16th century, the painter Girolamo Polla (c. 1549-1625) achieved recognition for his religious works, particularly those commissioned by churches and monasteries in the Venetian region.

In the realm of literature, the 17th century saw the rise of the writer and poet Niccolò Polla (1624-1693), whose works explored themes of love, nature, and the human condition. His collection of sonnets, "Rime Amorose," published in 1662, garnered critical acclaim and helped establish his reputation among the literary circles of the time.

Moving into the 19th century, the POLLA surname found its way into the world of science and academia. Notable figures include the mathematician and physicist Vincenzo Polla (1806-1872), whose contributions to the field of mechanics and theoretical physics were widely recognized during his lifetime.

Finally, in the 20th century, the name POLLA gained international recognition through the achievements of the Italian film director and screenwriter Gillo Pontecorvo (born Gillo Polla, 1919-2006). His works, such as the critically acclaimed "The Battle of Algiers" (1966), brought him widespread acclaim and cemented his legacy as a pioneering figure in the realm of political cinema.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Polla

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!