Rosella last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Rosella

An Italian surname derived from the feminine form of the word "rosso" meaning red or ruddy.

Rosella, 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 Rosella surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Rosella in America

Rosella is the 94730th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Rosella surname appeared 193 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 Rosella.

We can also compare 2010 data for Rosella 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.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 94730 76208 21.67%
Count 193 235 -19.63%
Proportion per 100k 0.07 0.09 -25.00%

The history of the last name Rosella

The surname Rosella is of Italian origin and dates back to the Renaissance period, specifically the 15th century. It is believed to have derived from the Italian word "rosella," which translates to "little rose," suggesting a connection to the floral world or even a reference to someone's rosy complexion.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Rosella surname can be found in the town records of Siena, Tuscany, in the year 1487. The name appears in a baptismal record, where a child was christened with the surname Rosella, indicating that the family had already adopted this name by that time.

During the 16th century, the Rosella family established itself in the city of Florence, where they were involved in various trades and professions. Historical records from that era mention a prominent Florentine merchant named Giovanni Rosella, who was born in 1521 and played a significant role in the city's thriving silk trade.

As the Rosella surname spread across Italy, it also found its way into the artistic realm. A notable figure was the Renaissance painter Matteo Rosella, born in 1495 in the town of Urbino. His works, though not widely known today, were highly regarded during his lifetime and can still be found in some of Italy's finest galleries.

In the 18th century, a branch of the Rosella family settled in the city of Naples, where they became known for their expertise in the production of fine ceramics. One of the most celebrated members of this Neapolitan lineage was Gaetano Rosella, a master ceramist who lived from 1732 to 1812 and whose intricate creations were prized by collectors throughout Europe.

As the centuries passed, the Rosella surname also found its way beyond the borders of Italy. In the late 19th century, a notable figure bearing this name was Enrico Rosella, an Italian-born engineer who emigrated to the United States and played a crucial role in the construction of several notable bridges and infrastructure projects, including the Brooklyn Bridge in New York City. Enrico Rosella was born in 1845 and lived until 1922.

Throughout its rich history, the Rosella surname has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including artists, merchants, craftsmen, and professionals, all united by their shared Italian heritage and the intriguing etymology of their surname.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Rosella

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

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 Rosella was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 96.37% 186
Non-Hispanic Black Only (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only 0.00% 0
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.00% 0
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races (S)% (S)
Hispanic Origin 2.59% 5

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 Rosella has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 96.37% 93.19% 3.36%
Black (S)% (S)% (S)%
Asian and Pacific Islander 0.00% 0.00% 0.00%
American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.00% (S)% (S)%
Two or More Races (S)% (S)% (S)%
Hispanic 2.59% 4.68% -57.50%

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

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

Reference this page

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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!

"Rosella last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on June 27, 2025. http://namecensus.com/last-names/rosella-surname-popularity/.

"Rosella last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/rosella-surname-popularity/. Accessed 27 June, 2025

Rosella last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/rosella-surname-popularity/.

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