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

Valletta, 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 Valletta surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Valletta in America

Valletta is the 23978th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Valletta surname appeared 1,052 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 Valletta.

We can also compare 2010 data for Valletta 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 Valletta

The surname Valletta finds its origins in the Italian language, specifically from the region of Malta. It is believed to have derived from the Italian word "valletta," which means "little valley." This suggests that the name was likely given to families who resided in or near a small valley or lowland area on the island of Malta.

The earliest known record of the surname Valletta dates back to the late 15th century. In 1499, a document from the archives of the Order of St. John in Malta mentions a certain Francesco Valletta, who was a resident of the city of Mdina. This indicates that the name was already in use during the time of the Knights Hospitaller's rule over the Maltese islands.

The Valletta surname gained greater prominence in the 16th century, when the Grand Master of the Order of St. John, Jean Parisot de la Valette, led the defense of Malta against the Ottoman Empire in the Great Siege of 1565. After the successful defense, he ordered the construction of a new fortified city, which was named Valletta in his honor. This city became the capital of Malta and is renowned for its impressive architecture and historical significance.

One notable bearer of the Valletta surname was Giovanni Francesco Abela, a Maltese historian and writer born in 1582. He is best known for his work "Della Descrittione di Malta" (The Description of Malta), which is considered one of the most comprehensive historical accounts of the Maltese islands.

Another prominent individual with this surname was Giuseppe Nicola Valletta, a Maltese architect born in 1856. He designed several notable buildings in Malta, including the Auberge de Castille, which served as the headquarters of the Order of St. John and is now the office of the Prime Minister of Malta.

In the 19th century, a Sicilian nobleman named Matteo Valletta played a significant role in the Risorgimento, the movement for Italian unification. He was born in 1805 and actively supported the efforts of Giuseppe Garibaldi in the struggle against the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies.

While the Valletta surname is most commonly associated with Malta, it can also be found in other parts of Italy, particularly in Sicily and southern regions, due to the historical connections between Malta and Italy. However, it is less prevalent outside of these areas, making it a distinctly Maltese and Italian name.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Valletta

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

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

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

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