2010
#159,712
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.03
Very Rare Last name
Tanella
Of Italian origin, referring to a person with tanned or suntanned skin.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 119 Americans carry the last name Tanella. That puts it at #153,590 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,880,289 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Tanella 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
119
1 in 2,880,289
Census rank
#153,590
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
104
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 104 bearers of the surname Tanella in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 153590th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Tanella, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.9%) and Black (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Tanella
The surname Tanella originates from the Italian region of Piedmont, with records dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old Italian word "tanella," meaning a small wooded valley or glen. The earliest known record of the name appears in a 1567 land registry document from the town of Asti, referring to a family residing in a hamlet situated in a narrow valley.
Historical references to the Tanella name can be found in various Italian archives and manuscripts. In the 17th century, a notable figure named Giovanni Battista Tanella was a renowned architect from Turin, responsible for the design of several churches and palaces in the region. He was born in 1621 and passed away in 1692.
The name Tanella can also be linked to the village of Tanella, located in the province of Cuneo, Piedmont. This small hamlet, nestled in the Tanaro Valley, was once a thriving agricultural community known for its vineyards and olive groves. The earliest recorded spelling of the village name dates back to the 12th century, appearing in a document from the nearby Abbey of Staffarda as "Tanellae."
In the 18th century, a notable figure named Pietro Tanella gained recognition as a skilled painter and fresco artist. Born in 1718 in the town of Mondovì, his works adorned numerous churches and noble residences throughout Piedmont and Liguria. He passed away in 1788, leaving behind a remarkable artistic legacy.
Another individual of note was Francesco Tanella, a 19th-century writer and poet from the city of Turin. Born in 1812, he published several volumes of poetry and literary works, earning acclaim for his lyrical style and vivid descriptions of the Piedmontese landscape. He passed away in 1879, leaving a lasting impact on the region's literary culture.
In the 20th century, the Tanella name gained further prominence with Ettore Tanella, a respected lawyer and politician from the town of Asti. Born in 1902, he served as a member of the Italian parliament and was actively involved in advocating for workers' rights and social reforms. He passed away in 1985, leaving a legacy as a champion of justice and equality.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Tanella
Among Census respondents with the surname Tanella, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.9%) and Black (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Tanella 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 Tanella surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White96.2% · 100
- Hispanic or Latino1.9% · 2
- Black or African American1.0% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Tanella
Tanella appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#153,590
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
+3 bearers (+3.0%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Up 6,122 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #159,712 | 101 | 0.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #153,590 | 104 | 0.03 | +3 bearers (+3.0%) | Up 6,122 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 Tanella 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 | #159,712 | #153,590 | 3.8% |
| Count | 101 | 104 | 3.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.03 | 16.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Tanella bearers went from 101 to 104 (+3.0% change). The surname moved up 6,122 positions in the national ranking, going from #159,712 to #153,590.
FAQ
Tanella surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Tanella?
Name Census estimates that about 119 living Americans carry the surname Tanella. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,880,289 residents.
How common is Tanella?
Tanella ranks #153,590 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 104 people with the surname Tanella. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (119), 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 Tanella.
Has Tanella become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Tanella went from 101 recorded bearers to 104. That is an increase of 3 (+3.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #159,712 to #153,590.
What does the Census say about the background of Tanella?
Among Census respondents with the surname Tanella, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.9%) and Black (1.0%). 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 Tanella in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.2% (100 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Tanella appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (96.2%), Hispanic (1.9%), Black (1.0%). 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 Tanella (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 Tanella mean?
Of Italian origin, referring to a person with tanned or suntanned skin. 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 Tanella (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 last name Tanella?
If you just want to know how many people have the last name Tanella, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.