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

Villella, 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 Villella surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Villella in America

Villella is the 21535th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Villella surname appeared 1,212 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 Villella.

We can also compare 2010 data for Villella 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 Villella

The surname Villella originated in Italy, specifically in the southern regions of Calabria and Sicily. It is derived from the Italian word "villa," meaning a country house or a rural settlement. The name first emerged during the Middle Ages, between the 11th and 13th centuries.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Villella can be found in the Codice Diplomatico della Certosa di San Lorenzo di Padula, a collection of medieval documents from the Carthusian monastery in Padula, Campania. The name appeared in a document dated 1248, referring to a landowner named Niccolò Villella.

In the 14th century, the Villella family held significant political and economic influence in the coastal town of Tropea, Calabria. Historical records mention a nobleman named Giovanni Villella, who served as the mayor of Tropea in the late 1300s.

During the Renaissance period, the name Villella was associated with several notable figures in the arts and literature. Girolamo Villella (1516-1592), a poet and playwright from Messina, Sicily, was renowned for his pastoral dramas and madrigals. His contemporaries included the celebrated poet Torquato Tasso, who praised Villella's work.

In the 17th century, the Villella family established a prominent presence in the city of Naples. One of the most famous members was Giacomo Villella (1629-1697), a renowned architect and engineer responsible for designing several notable buildings, including the Church of Santa Maria della Sapienza in Naples.

Another notable figure was Antonio Villella (1701-1780), a Sicilian philosopher and theologian who authored several influential works on ethics and moral philosophy. His treatise "De Virtutibus Cardinalibus" was widely studied in universities across Europe.

In the 19th century, the Villella name gained recognition in the field of medicine. Giuseppe Villella (1836-1917), a physician from Calabria, made significant contributions to the study of infectious diseases and public health. He served as the director of the Naples Municipal Hospital and was instrumental in improving sanitary conditions in the city.

More recently, the name Villella has been associated with the world of dance and choreography. Edward Villella (born 1936) is an acclaimed American dancer and choreographer of Italian descent. He was a principal dancer with the New York City Ballet and later founded the Miami City Ballet, where he served as artistic director.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Villella

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

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

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

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