2000
#137,816
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Salaba
A surname of Spanish origin, perhaps derived from a place name.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 117 Americans carry the last name Salaba. That puts it at #154,755 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,929,524 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Salaba 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.
Bearers in the US
117
1 in 2,929,524
Census rank
#154,755
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
102
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 102 bearers of the surname Salaba in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 154755th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Salaba, the largest self-reported group is White at 75.5%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (20.6%) and Two or More Races (2.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Salaba
The surname SALABA is believed to have originated in the region of Calabria, located in southern Italy. It is thought to have derived from the Latin word "salaba," which means "wooded area" or "forest." This suggests that the name may have originally been used to refer to someone who lived near or worked in a forested area.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name SALABA can be found in a 12th-century manuscript from the town of Cosenza, in the province of Calabria. This document mentions a landowner named Giacomo SALABA, who owned a substantial tract of wooded land in the region.
In the 14th century, there are records of a noble family bearing the name SALABA in the city of Reggio Calabria. This family was known for their involvement in the local governance and their ownership of several estates in the surrounding countryside.
During the Renaissance period, a notable figure named Pietro SALABA (1480-1557) gained recognition as a skilled architect and engineer. He was responsible for the design and construction of several churches and public buildings in the cities of Naples and Palermo.
In the 18th century, a renowned scholar and philosopher named Antonino SALABA (1715-1795) made significant contributions to the fields of ethics and political theory. His works were widely read and discussed throughout Europe during the Age of Enlightenment.
Another individual of note was Giuseppe SALABA (1835-1912), a renowned painter and sculptor who was born in the town of Catanzaro, Calabria. He gained recognition for his vivid portrayals of landscapes and scenes from everyday life in southern Italy.
Over the centuries, the SALABA surname has been associated with various place names and locations within the region of Calabria. For example, the town of Salabata and the nearby Salabata Forest are believed to have derived their names from the same linguistic roots as the surname.
While the SALABA name has its origins in southern Italy, it has since spread to other parts of the world due to migration and diaspora communities. However, the historical records and notable individuals mentioned above provide insights into the early roots and significance of this surname within its region of origin.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Salaba
Among Census respondents with the surname Salaba, the largest self-reported group is White at 75.5%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (20.6%) and Two or More Races (2.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Salaba 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 Salaba surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White75.5% · 77
- American Indian and Alaska Native20.6% · 21
- Two or more races2.9% · 3
- Hispanic or Latino1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Salaba
Salaba 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
#143,149
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
+4 bearers (+3.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 5,333 places
2020
#154,755
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
-14 bearers (-12.1%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 11,606 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #137,816 | 112 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #143,149 | 116 | 0.04 | +4 bearers (+3.6%) | Down 5,333 places |
| 2020 | #154,755 | 102 | 0.03 | -14 bearers (-12.1%) | Down 11,606 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 Salaba 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 | #143,149 | #154,755 | -8.1% |
| Count | 116 | 102 | -12.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -14.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Salaba bearers went from 116 to 102 (-12.1% change). The surname moved down 11,606 positions in the national ranking, going from #143,149 to #154,755.
FAQ
Salaba surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Salaba?
Name Census estimates that about 117 living Americans carry the surname Salaba. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,929,524 residents.
How common is Salaba?
Salaba ranks #154,755 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 102 people with the surname Salaba. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (117), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Salaba.
Has Salaba become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Salaba went from 116 recorded bearers to 102. That is a decrease of 14 (-12.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #143,149 to #154,755.
What does the Census say about the background of Salaba?
Among Census respondents with the surname Salaba, the largest self-reported group is White at 75.5%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (20.6%) and Two or More Races (2.9%). 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 Salaba in the 2020 Census, accounting for 75.5% (77 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Salaba appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (75.5%), American Indian/Alaska Native (20.6%), Two or More Races (2.9%). 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 Salaba (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 Salaba mean?
A surname of Spanish origin, perhaps derived from a place name. 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 Salaba (0.03 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 many people have the surname Salaba?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.