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

Quiala, 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 Quiala surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Quiala in America

Quiala is the 130610th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Quiala surname appeared 130 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 Quiala.

The history of the last name Quiala

The surname Quiala is believed to have originated in the Iberian Peninsula during the medieval era, likely in the regions of modern-day Portugal or Spain. Its roots can be traced back to the Latin word "qualitas," which means "quality" or "character," suggesting that the name may have initially referred to a personal trait or attribute.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Quiala can be found in the medieval Portuguese charters from the 13th century, where it appears as "Quiala" or "Quialla." This indicates that the name has maintained a relatively consistent spelling over the centuries.

In the 14th century, a notable figure bearing the Quiala surname was Joao Quiala, a Portuguese nobleman and landowner from the region of Alentejo. Records indicate that he was involved in various disputes over land ownership and rights during the reign of King Afonso IV (1325-1357).

During the Age of Discovery in the 15th and 16th centuries, as Portuguese explorers and settlers ventured to new lands, the Quiala surname likely spread to other parts of the world, particularly to the Portuguese colonies in Africa and South America. One example is Pedro Quiala, a Portuguese explorer who accompanied Bartolomeu Dias on his voyage to the Cape of Good Hope in 1488.

In the 17th century, the Quiala surname can be found in historical records from the Spanish colonies in the Americas. Francisco Quiala, a Spanish soldier and settler, was among the early colonists in the region that is now known as Florida, where he participated in the establishment of St. Augustine, the oldest continuously occupied European settlement in the continental United States.

Another notable figure with the Quiala surname was Maria Quiala, a Portuguese woman who lived in the 18th century and was renowned for her philanthropic work and efforts to establish schools and orphanages in her hometown of Évora.

As the centuries passed, the Quiala surname continued to spread and diversify, with individuals bearing this name making notable contributions in various fields, such as art, literature, and politics. However, the exact origins and meaning of the name remain shrouded in the mists of time, a testament to the rich tapestry of cultural and linguistic influences that have shaped the diverse surnames found throughout the world.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Quiala

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

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 Quiala 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.

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

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

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