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

Quale, 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 Quale surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Quale in America

Quale is the 31001st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Quale surname appeared 749 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 Quale.

We can also compare 2010 data for Quale 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 Quale

The surname Quale is of Italian origin, deriving from the Italian word "quale," meaning "what" or "which." It first emerged in the medieval period, likely in the northern regions of Italy.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the surname Quale is found in the 14th-century Florentine tax records, suggesting its presence in the city of Florence during that time. The name may have originated as a descriptive nickname or a locational name referring to a particular place or region.

In the 15th century, the Quale family gained prominence in the city of Venice. records indicate that a Giovanni Quale was a prominent merchant and banker who played a significant role in the city's economic affairs during that period.

Another notable figure bearing the surname Quale was Giacomo Quale, a Renaissance artist from the city of Siena who lived between 1480 and 1550. He was renowned for his frescoes and altarpieces, many of which can still be found in churches throughout Tuscany.

During the 16th century, the Quale family expanded their influence beyond Italy. One branch settled in Spain, where they adopted the spelling "Qual." Francisco Qual, born in 1570, was a Spanish explorer who accompanied Hernán Cortés on his expedition to Mexico and played a crucial role in the conquest of the Aztec Empire.

In the 17th century, a member of the Quale family, Antonio Quale (1620-1690), gained recognition as a prominent jurist and legal scholar in the Papal States. His treatises on canon law were widely studied and respected throughout Europe.

Another notable figure was the Italian mathematician and astronomer, Giuseppe Quale (1675-1745), who made significant contributions to the study of celestial mechanics and the motion of planets. He was a member of the prestigious Accademia dei Lincei, one of the oldest scientific academies in the world.

As the Quale family spread across Europe, variations in spelling emerged, such as "Qualle" and "Quayle." In the 18th century, the Quayle family established themselves in the Isle of Man, where they became prominent landowners and merchants.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Quale

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

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

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

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