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

Stella, 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 Stella surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Stella in America

Stella is the 8178th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Stella surname appeared 4,053 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Stella.

We can also compare 2010 data for Stella 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 Stella

The surname STELLA has its origins in Italy, dating back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Latin word "stella," meaning "star." The name likely originated as a nickname or a descriptive term for someone who was associated with a star-shaped symbol, a celestial body, or who possessed a bright, shining personality.

During the medieval period, surnames were often based on occupations, physical traits, or places of origin. The surname STELLA may have been given to individuals who worked as astrologers, astronomers, or navigators, professions that required knowledge of the stars and celestial bodies.

Historical records indicate that the surname STELLA appeared in various Italian regions, including Tuscany, Lombardy, and Sicily, as early as the 13th century. One of the earliest documented references to the name can be found in the "Codice Diplomatico Longobardo," a collection of legal documents from the Lombard period, where a certain "Guido Stella" is mentioned in a document dated 1227.

In the 14th century, the STELLA surname gained prominence in the city of Bologna, where a noble family bearing this name played a significant role in the city's political and cultural life. Notable members of this family include Giovanni Battista Stella (1552-1619), a renowned painter and engraver, and Gian Girolamo Stella (1587-1657), a Baroque painter known for his religious works.

Another notable figure with the surname STELLA was Jacopo Stella (1596-1687), an Italian painter and engraver from the Baroque period, known for his landscapes and mythological scenes. His works can be found in various museums and galleries across Europe.

The STELLA surname also has a connection to the town of Stella, located in the province of Savona, Liguria, Italy. It is believed that the town's name may have contributed to the origin of the surname, as it was common for individuals to adopt place names as their surnames during the Middle Ages.

Throughout history, there have been several other notable individuals bearing the STELLA surname, including:

1. Antonio Stella (1536-1595), an Italian architect and sculptor from Brescia.
2. Erasmo di Valvasone Stella (1592-1629), an Italian poet and soldier from Friuli.
3. Giulio Camillo Delminio Stella (1564-1624), an Italian philosopher and writer from Padua.
4. Tommaso Stella (1637-1702), an Italian mathematician and astronomer from Naples.
5. Giuseppe Stella (1822-1902), an Italian painter and engraver from Naples.

While the surname STELLA has its roots in Italy, it has since spread to other countries through migration and has been adopted by individuals of various ethnicities and nationalities.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Stella

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

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

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

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