2010
#157,234
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.03
Very Rare Last name
Villanella
A surname of Italian origin referring to someone from a small rural village.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 120 Americans carry the last name Villanella. That puts it at #152,989 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,856,286 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Villanella 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
120
1 in 2,856,286
Census rank
#152,989
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
105
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 105 bearers of the surname Villanella in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152989th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Villanella, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.6%) and Two or More Races (2.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Villanella
The surname Villanella has its origins in Italy, specifically in the northern regions of the country. It is believed to have emerged during the medieval period, around the 12th or 13th century. The name is derived from the Italian word "villa," which means a small village or a farm estate, combined with the diminutive suffix "-ella," indicating a smaller or lesser version of something.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Villanella can be found in a document from the city of Verona, dated around 1240. This document mentions a certain "Petrus de Villanella," suggesting that the name was already in use at that time. The name likely originated as a way to identify individuals who lived in or were associated with a small village or farm estate.
In the 14th century, the name Villanella appeared in several historical records from various parts of northern Italy, including the cities of Milan, Pavia, and Parma. One notable individual bearing this surname was Giovanni Villanella (1312-1380), a wealthy merchant and landowner from the town of Vigevano, near Pavia.
During the Renaissance period, the Villanella family gained prominence in the city of Brescia, located in the region of Lombardy. Records from the 15th and 16th centuries mention several members of this family, including Bartolomeo Villanella (1452-1528), a renowned architect who contributed to the design of several churches and public buildings in Brescia.
Another noteworthy figure with the surname Villanella was Gasparo Villanella (1597-1673), a composer and musician from the city of Modena. He was renowned for his contributions to the development of the early Baroque style of music and is credited with writing numerous madrigals and instrumental works.
In the 18th century, the Villanella name appeared in the southern regions of Italy as well. One prominent individual was Giuseppe Villanella (1721-1804), a lawyer and political figure from Naples who played a significant role in the early stages of the Neapolitan Republic during the French Revolutionary era.
Throughout the centuries, the Villanella surname has undergone various spelling variations, such as Villanella, Villannella, and Villanela, reflecting regional differences and linguistic evolutions. While the name has its roots in rural settings, it has since spread to urban areas and beyond, carried by individuals and families who have contributed to various aspects of Italian history and culture.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Villanella
Among Census respondents with the surname Villanella, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.6%) and Two or More Races (2.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Villanella 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 Villanella surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.6% · 92
- Hispanic or Latino8.6% · 9
- Two or more races2.9% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Villanella
Villanella 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
#152,989
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
+2 bearers (+1.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 4,245 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #157,234 | 103 | 0.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #152,989 | 105 | 0.04 | +2 bearers (+1.9%) | Up 4,245 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 Villanella 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 | #157,234 | #152,989 | 2.7% |
| Count | 103 | 105 | 1.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 17.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Villanella bearers went from 103 to 105 (+1.9% change). The surname moved up 4,245 positions in the national ranking, going from #157,234 to #152,989.
FAQ
Villanella surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Villanella?
Name Census estimates that about 120 living Americans carry the surname Villanella. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,856,286 residents.
How common is Villanella?
Villanella ranks #152,989 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 105 people with the surname Villanella. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (120), 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 Villanella.
Has Villanella become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Villanella went from 103 recorded bearers to 105. That is an increase of 2 (+1.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #157,234 to #152,989.
What does the Census say about the background of Villanella?
Among Census respondents with the surname Villanella, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.6%) and Two or More Races (2.9%). 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 Villanella in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.6% (92 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Villanella appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.6%), Hispanic (8.6%), Two or More Races (2.9%). 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 Villanella (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 Villanella mean?
A surname of Italian origin referring to someone from a small rural village. 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 Villanella (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 share the surname Villanella?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.