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

Walla, 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 Walla surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Walla in America

Walla is the 12536th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Walla surname appeared 2,472 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 Walla.

We can also compare 2010 data for Walla 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 Walla

The surname WALLA originated in Germany, with the earliest recorded instances dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old German word "walah," which referred to a foreigner or someone who spoke a different language, possibly originating from the Celts or Gauls.

The name was initially concentrated in the regions of Bavaria and Austria, where it was often spelled as "Walla" or "Waller." Over time, it spread to other parts of Germany and neighboring countries.

One of the earliest known references to the name can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Brandenburgensis, a collection of historical documents from the Margraviate of Brandenburg. In this source, a person named "Johannes Walla" is mentioned in a document dated 1310.

In the 14th century, the name appeared in various municipal records and tax registers across southern Germany. For instance, a "Hans Walla" is listed as a resident of the town of Augsburg in 1372.

As the name spread, it took on various spellings and regional variations, such as "Walle," "Wallen," and "Wallin." Some notable individuals bearing this surname include the German philosopher Friedrich Walla (1800-1876), the Austrian composer Hans Walla (1833-1910), and the Swiss writer Max Walla (1875-1949).

Another prominent figure was the German architect and urban planner Rudolf Walla (1876-1942), who was responsible for the design of several important buildings and urban developments in Berlin during the early 20th century.

The name also found its way into various place names, such as Wallachisch, a German term referring to regions inhabited by people of Romanian descent, and Wallersee, a lake located in the Austrian state of Salzburg.

While the surname WALLA may have originated as a descriptor for foreigners or outsiders, it eventually became a well-established family name throughout central and eastern Europe, with bearers making significant contributions in various fields over the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Walla

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!