Explore the Family Name Mella

The meaning of Mella

1. Spanish: habitational name from (La) Mella in A Coruña province, Galicia, or from La Mella in Biscay, Basque Country. 2. Italian: from a short form of a feminine personal name ending in -mella, such as Giacomella (see Giacomelli). 3. Italian: nickname from a short form of the Late Latin animella ‘loved one, dear son’. Some characteristic forenames: Spanish Jose, Salvador, Americo, Ana, Enrique, Luis, Asuncion, Bartolome, Carlos, Eduvigis, Evangelina, Francisco. Italian Dante, Carmine, Carlo, Raffaele, Romeo.

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name Mella in the United States?

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname Mella has seen a slight decline from 2000 to 2010. In 2000, it ranked 30,003 in terms of popularity but dropped to 31,906 in 2010, indicating a 6.34% decrease. Similarly, the count of people using this surname also fell marginally from 738 in 2000 to 723 in 2010, a change of about -2.03%. The proportion per 100,000 people with the last name Mella decreased by 7.41%, from 0.27 in 2000 to 0.25 in 2010.

20002010Change
Rank#30,003#31,906-6.34%
Count738723-2.03%
Proportion per 100k0.270.25-7.41%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Mella

The ethnicity distribution among individuals with the surname Mella varied between 2000 and 2010, according to the Decennial U.S. Census data. The percentage identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander grew significantly by 54.83%, increasing from 7.86% in 2000 to 12.17% in 2010. However, the proportion identifying with two or more races saw a sharp decrease of 49.18%, dropping from 2.44% in 2000 to 1.24% in 2010. The largest ethnic group, Hispanics, experienced an increase of 10.57%, rising from 50.41% in 2000 to 55.74% in 2010. The proportion of Whites and American Indian and Alaskan Natives both decreased over the decade, with Whites falling by 20.90% and American Indian and Alaskan Natives remaining at 0%. For the first time in 2010, a small percentage (0.83%) identified as Black.

20002010Change
Hispanic50.41%55.74%10.57%
White37.94%30.01%-20.9%
Asian/Pacific Islander7.86%12.17%54.83%
Two or More Races2.44%1.24%-49.18%
Black0%0.83%0%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0%0%0%