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

Tesla, 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 Tesla surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Tesla in America

Tesla is the 142108th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Tesla surname appeared 117 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Tesla.

We can also compare 2010 data for Tesla 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 Tesla

The surname Tesla is of Croatian origin, deriving from the Slavic word "tâlo" or "tâla", meaning "soil" or "earth". It is believed to have originated in the 15th or 16th century in the region that is now modern-day Croatia.

The earliest known records of the name Tesla date back to the late 16th century in the village of Smiljan, located in the Lika region of Croatia. The name was initially associated with families involved in agricultural or farming activities, as it was a common practice to adopt surnames based on occupations or geographical locations.

One of the earliest documented individuals with the surname Tesla was Milutin Tesla, born in the late 16th century in Smiljan. He was a Serbian Orthodox priest and is considered one of the ancestors of the famous inventor Nikola Tesla.

The surname Tesla gained wider recognition in the 19th century with the birth of Nikola Tesla (1856-1943), a Serbian-American inventor, electrical engineer, and futurist. Nikola Tesla is renowned for his contributions to the design of the modern alternating current (AC) electricity supply system, as well as his pioneering work in the fields of electromagnetism and wireless communication.

Another notable individual with the surname Tesla was Josip Tesla (1858-1926), a Croatian physicist and electrical engineer who made significant contributions to the development of electrical engineering and alternating current technology. He was a contemporary of Nikola Tesla and worked closely with him on several projects.

In the early 20th century, the surname Tesla also appeared in historical records in the United States, particularly among Serbian and Croatian immigrants. One such individual was Dane Tesla (1901-1980), an American electrical engineer and inventor who held numerous patents in the field of electrical engineering.

Milan Tesla (1879-1966), a Serbian-American engineer and inventor, is another prominent figure associated with the surname Tesla. He was a cousin of Nikola Tesla and worked closely with him on various projects, including the development of wireless communication systems.

While the surname Tesla has its roots in Croatia and the former Yugoslavia, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and intermarriage. However, the name remains closely tied to its Slavic origins and the notable contributions of individuals like Nikola Tesla to the fields of science and engineering.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Tesla

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

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

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

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