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

Vella, 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 Vella surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Vella in America

Vella is the 8189th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Vella surname appeared 4,051 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 Vella.

We can also compare 2010 data for Vella 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 Vella

The surname Vella is of Italian origin, with roots tracing back to the 14th century in the regions of Sicily and Calabria. It is believed to have derived from the Latin word "villa," meaning a country house or farm.

The earliest recorded instances of the name Vella can be found in various historical documents from southern Italy, including property records and municipal registries. In 1382, a certain Giovanni Vella was mentioned in a deed from the town of Palermo, Sicily.

One of the earliest known bearers of the Vella name was Niccolò Vella, a Sicilian nobleman and landowner who lived in the late 15th century. He was a prominent figure in the city of Catania, where he owned several estates and vineyards.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Vella name spread across the Italian peninsula, with families bearing this surname appearing in various regions, including Naples, Rome, and Genoa. Some notable individuals from this period include the poet and playwright Girolamo Vella (1515-1589) and the Neapolitan painter Fabrizio Vella (1620-1692).

As the Vella name spread beyond Italy, it gained a foothold in other parts of Europe and eventually reached the Americas. In the 18th century, a branch of the Vella family settled in Malta, where the name became well-established. One of the most famous Maltese individuals with the surname Vella was the philosopher and theologian Giorgio Vella (1722-1798).

In the 19th century, the Vella name found its way to the Americas, with families immigrating from Italy and Malta to countries like the United States, Canada, and Argentina. Among the notable figures from this period was the Argentine politician and diplomat Carlos Vella (1845-1912), who served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs for his country.

Throughout its history, the surname Vella has been associated with various occupations and professions, including landowners, writers, artists, and politicians. While the name has retained its Italian roots, it has also gained a global presence, with bearers of the Vella surname found in numerous countries around the world.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Vella

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

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

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

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