2000
#127,948
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 123
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Tapella
An uncommon Italian surname likely derived from a villa or location name.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 127 Americans carry the last name Tapella. That puts it at #148,665 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,698,853 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Tapella 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
127
1 in 2,698,853
Census rank
#148,665
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
111
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 111 bearers of the surname Tapella in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 148665th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Tapella, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.2%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Tapella
The surname Tapella originated in Italy during the medieval period. It is derived from the Latin word "tapetum," which means a type of woven carpet or tapestry. The name likely referred to an occupation or trade related to the production or sale of tapestries or carpets.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Tapella can be found in a document from the town of Piacenza, dated 1289, which mentions a "Johannes Tapella." In the 14th century, the name appears in records from the cities of Genoa and Milan, indicating its prevalence in northern Italy during this time.
The Tapella family is believed to have originated in the region of Piedmont, specifically in the town of Asti. In the 15th century, a branch of the family settled in the nearby town of Chieri, where they became prominent landowners and merchants. One notable figure from this period was Giovanni Battista Tapella (1450-1521), a wealthy merchant who served as a councilman in Chieri.
During the Renaissance, the Tapella name gained recognition in the arts. Francesco Tapella (1519-1592) was a renowned painter from Genoa who worked in the Mannerist style. His works can be found in various churches and galleries throughout Italy.
In the 17th century, the name Tapella appeared in records from the city of Naples, where a family of that name held noble titles. One notable member was Gian Carlo Tapella (1635-1709), who served as a military officer and diplomat for the Kingdom of Naples.
Another prominent Tapella was Giuseppe Tapella (1753-1825), a philosopher and mathematician from Turin. He was a member of the Accademia delle Scienze di Torino and made significant contributions to the field of calculus.
Throughout history, variations of the name Tapella have included Tapelli, Tapello, and Tapelli. While the name has its roots in Italy, it has since spread to other parts of the world through emigration.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Tapella
Among Census respondents with the surname Tapella, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.2%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Tapella 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 Tapella surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.2% · 99
- Hispanic or Latino7.2% · 8
- Two or more races2.7% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Tapella
Tapella 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
#148,347
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
-12 bearers (-9.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 20,399 places
2020
#148,665
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
+0 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 318 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #127,948 | 123 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #148,347 | 111 | 0.04 | -12 bearers (-9.8%) | Down 20,399 places |
| 2020 | #148,665 | 111 | 0.04 | +0 bearers (+0.0%) | Down 318 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 Tapella 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 | #148,347 | #148,665 | -0.2% |
| Count | 111 | 111 | 0.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -7.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Tapella bearers went from 111 to 111 (+0.0% change). The surname moved down 318 positions in the national ranking, going from #148,347 to #148,665.
FAQ
Tapella surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Tapella?
Name Census estimates that about 127 living Americans carry the surname Tapella. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,698,853 residents.
How common is Tapella?
Tapella ranks #148,665 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 111 people with the surname Tapella. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (127), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Tapella.
Has Tapella become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Tapella went from 111 recorded bearers to 111. That is an increase of 0 (+0.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #148,347 to #148,665.
What does the Census say about the background of Tapella?
Among Census respondents with the surname Tapella, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.2%) and Two or More Races (2.7%). 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 Tapella in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.2% (99 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Tapella appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.2%), Hispanic (7.2%), Two or More Races (2.7%). 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 Tapella (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 Tapella mean?
An uncommon Italian surname likely derived from a villa or location 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 Tapella (0.04 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 Tapella?
Want to know how many Americans have the surname Tapella? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.