Explore the Family Name Paglia

The meaning of Paglia

Italian: from paglia ‘straw’, possibly used as a nickname or a metonymic occupational name for someone who gathered straw or used it to make skeps, hats, or mattresses, for example. Compare La Paglia. Some characteristic forenames: Italian Angelo, Donato, Vito, Antonino, Carmela, Elio, Giuseppe, Rocco, Aldo, Antonio, Carlo, Carmelo.

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

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

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Paglia has seen a minor decrease in popularity over the decade from 2000 to 2010. The surname was ranked 17,073rd in 2000 but dipped slightly to 17,942nd by 2010, marking a 5.09% drop. Despite this slip in rank, the actual count of people with the Paglia surname rose by 1.63%, increasing from 1533 to 1558 individuals. However, its frequency per 100k population also decreased by 7.02%, from 0.57 to 0.53.

	2000	2010	Change
Rank	#17,073	#17,942	-5.09%
Count	1,533	1,558	1.63%
Proportion per 100k	0.57	0.53	-7.02%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Paglia

In terms of ethnic identity, the data from the Decennial U.S. Census shows slight shifts between 2000 and 2010. Individuals identifying as White with the surname Paglia decreased by 1.06%, from 95.43% to 94.42%. The Asian/Pacific Islander category saw a notable increase, going up from 0.52% to 1.09%, reflecting a change of 109.62%. Those identifying as Hispanic also increased by 14.96%, moving from 2.74% to 3.15%. There was a slight decrease in those identifying with two or more races, dropping from 0.91% to 0.83%, a change of -8.79%. The proportions of those identifying as Black, American Indian, or Alaskan Native remained at zero.

	2000	2010	Change
White	95.43%	94.42%	-1.06%
Hispanic	2.74%	3.15%	14.96%
Asian/Pacific Islander	0.52%	1.09%	109.62%
Two or More Races	0.91%	0.83%	-8.79%
Black	0%	0%	0%
American Indian and Alaskan Native	0%	0%	0%