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

Raila, 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 Raila surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Raila in America

Raila is the 125282nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Raila surname appeared 137 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 Raila.

We can also compare 2010 data for Raila 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 Raila

The surname RAILA is believed to have originated in the Baltic region, specifically in modern-day Latvia or Lithuania. It dates back to the medieval period, around the 13th or 14th century. The name is thought to be derived from the Lithuanian word "raila," which means "bent" or "crooked," possibly referring to a physical characteristic or location.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name RAILA can be found in the chronicles of the Teutonic Knights, who were a German Catholic military order active in the Baltic region during the 13th and 14th centuries. The chronicles mention a landowner named Raylo Raila who resided in the area around the town of Klaipeda, which was then known as Memel.

In the 16th century, a prominent figure named Jonas Raila was a influential merchant and guild master in the city of Vilnius, the capital of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. He is mentioned in several historical records and documents from that period.

The RAILA surname can also be traced back to the village of Raiļi in the Vidzeme region of modern-day Latvia. This village was first mentioned in historical records dating back to the 15th century, and it is likely that the name originated from this location.

One notable individual with the surname RAILA was Petras Raila (1492-1565), a prominent Lithuanian nobleman and diplomat who served as the ambassador of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania to the court of the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V.

Another notable figure was Mykolas Raila (1663-1734), a Lithuanian Jesuit priest and scholar who taught at the University of Vilnius and authored several theological works.

In the 19th century, a prominent figure with the surname RAILA was Jurgis Raila (1815-1888), a Lithuanian poet and philosopher who played a significant role in the Lithuanian National Revival movement.

While the surname RAILA is relatively uncommon, it has been carried by individuals of significant historical importance, particularly in the Baltic region and among the Lithuanian diaspora.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Raila

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

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

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

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