2000
#8,836
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,412
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.26
Rare Last name
Sala
An Italian occupational surname referring to a hall or large room, likely derived from the word "sala."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,668 Americans carry the last name Sala. That puts it at #9,687 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.07 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 93,444 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Sala surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Sala with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.7K
1 in 93,444
Census rank
#9,687
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,199 bearers of the surname Sala in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.07 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9687th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Sala, the largest self-reported group is White at 64.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (20.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (7.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Sala
The surname Sala has its origins in Italy, with roots dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Italian word "sala," meaning a hall or large room. This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived or worked in a manor house or other grand dwelling.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Sala can be found in the historic Codice Diplomatico Longobardo, a collection of documents from the Lombard era in Italy. A certain Adelardo Sala is mentioned in a document from the year 735 AD, lending credence to the theory of the name's ancient Italian lineage.
During the Renaissance period, the Sala surname gained further prominence. In the 15th century, the Florentine artist Vincenzo Sala (1435-1506) achieved recognition for his intricate wood carvings and sculptural works adorning churches and public buildings throughout Italy. His artistic legacy serves as a testament to the cultural significance of this surname.
The name Sala has also been linked to various place names across Italy. For instance, the village of Sala Comacina, located near the picturesque Lake Como in Northern Italy, may have served as a source for the surname. Additionally, the town of Sala Baganza in the Emilia-Romagna region has historical ties to the Sala name.
Across the centuries, several notable individuals have carried the Sala surname. One such figure was Giovanni Battista Sala (1628-1714), a renowned Italian mathematician and astronomer who made significant contributions to the field of celestial mechanics. Another prominent bearer of the name was the 18th-century Italian composer and violinist Giovanni Sala (1720-1805), whose compositions were performed across Europe.
Moving into the 19th century, the Sala surname gained international recognition with the birth of the French novelist and playwright Lucien Sala (1833-1912). His works, which often explored themes of social injustice and the human condition, earned him widespread acclaim during his lifetime.
In the realm of politics, the Italian politician and statesman Luca Sala (1859-1924) left an indelible mark on his nation's history. As a member of the Italian Senate and a prominent figure in the Italian Socialist Party, he played a pivotal role in shaping the country's political landscape during the early 20th century.
Overall, the surname Sala boasts a rich and diverse history, spanning centuries and encompassing various fields of human endeavor. From its ancient Italian roots to its modern-day bearers, this name has woven itself into the tapestry of cultural, artistic, and intellectual achievements across multiple nations and eras.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Sala
Among Census respondents with the surname Sala, the largest self-reported group is White at 64.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (20.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (7.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Sala bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Sala surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White64.5% · 2,064
- Hispanic or Latino20.8% · 665
- Asian and Pacific Islander7.0% · 223
- Two or more races3.0% · 95
- American Indian and Alaska Native2.5% · 81
- Black or African American2.2% · 71
Timeline
Historical Census data for Sala
Sala appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#7,575
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,386
+974 bearers (+28.5%)
Per 100,000 1.49
Rank movement Up 1,261 places
2020
#9,687
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,199
-1,187 bearers (-27.1%)
Per 100,000 1.07
Rank movement Down 2,112 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,836 | 3,412 | 1.26 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,575 | 4,386 | 1.49 | +974 bearers (+28.5%) | Up 1,261 places |
| 2020 | #9,687 | 3,199 | 1.07 | -1,187 bearers (-27.1%) | Down 2,112 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Sala surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #7,575 | #9,687 | -27.9% |
| Count | 4,386 | 3,199 | -27.1% |
| Per 100K | 1.49 | 1.07 | -28.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Sala bearers went from 4,386 to 3,199 (-27.1% change). The surname moved down 2,112 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,575 to #9,687.
FAQ
Sala surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Sala?
Name Census estimates that about 3,668 living Americans carry the surname Sala. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 93,444 residents.
How common is Sala?
Sala ranks #9,687 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.07 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,199 people with the surname Sala. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,668), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.07 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.07 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Sala.
Has Sala become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Sala went from 4,386 recorded bearers to 3,199. That is a decrease of 1,187 (-27.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #7,575 to #9,687.
What does the Census say about the background of Sala?
Among Census respondents with the surname Sala, the largest self-reported group is White at 64.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (20.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (7.0%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Sala in the 2020 Census, accounting for 64.5% (2,064 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Sala appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (64.5%), Hispanic (20.8%), Asian/Pacific Islander (7.0%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Sala (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Sala mean?
An Italian occupational surname referring to a hall or large room, likely derived from the word "sala." The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Sala (1.07 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How common is the surname Sala?
If you just want to know how many people are called Sala, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.