Explore the Family Name Sala
The meaning of Sala
1. Italian, Catalan, Portuguese, and French (Occitan): from sala ‘hall’, hence a topographic name or an occupational name for someone employed at a hall or manor house. Both the Italian and Catalan names may also be of habitational origin: in the case of Italian, from (amongst others) Sala Biellese (Biella province), Sala Consilina (Salerno province), and Sala Monferrato (Alessandria), and in the case of Catalan from any of the places called (La) Sala. Compare La Sala. 2. Spanish, Asturian-Leonese, and Aragonese: habitational name from any of the places called Sala (Asturias and Aragon) or La Sala (Asturias). 3. Hungarian: from a short form of the Biblical name Salamon (see Solomon). It is also found in Romania (Transylvania). 4. Czech (Šála, also Šala); Slovenian and Croatian (Šala): from a short form of the old personal name Šalamoun (Czech only), Šalamon (see Salamon), or perhaps a nickname from Czech šálit ‘to cheat, to swindle’, Slovenian and Croatian šaliti se ‘to joke, to jest’ or šala ‘joke’. 5. Altered form of Arabic Salah. Some characteristic forenames: Italian Angelo, Salvatore, Arturo, Enrico, Alba, Alberto, Biagio, Carmine, Claudio, Dante, Erminio, Giovanni, Giuseppe, Guido, Livio, Lucio. Spanish Jose, Manuel, Luis, Marta, Andres, Annaliza, Carlos, Cesar.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Sala in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname Sala has seen a significant increase between 2000 and 2010. The rank of the Sala surname rose by 14.27%, moving from 8836 in 2000 to 7575 in 2010. Moreover, the total count of people carrying the Sala surname increased by 28.55%, growing from 3412 to 4386 individuals. This rise is further highlighted with an 18.25% increase in the proportion per 100K people, moving from 1.26 in 2000 to 1.49 in 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #8,836 | #7,575 | 14.27% |
| Count | 3,412 | 4,386 | 28.55% |
| Proportion per 100k | 1.26 | 1.49 | 18.25% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Sala
The ethnic identity associated with the Sala surname also witnessed changes over the same period, as shown by the Decennial U.S. Census data. The majority identifying as White dropped slightly from 74.91% to 71.52%. Meanwhile, those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander and Black saw substantial growth, moving from 4.13% to 6.54% and 0.91% to 1.32% respectively. The Hispanic representation also increased moderately from 14.30% to 15.55%. However, those identifying with two or more races and those identifying as American Indian and Alaskan Native decreased, falling from 2.81% to 2.37% and 2.93% to 2.69% respectively.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 74.91% | 71.52% | -4.53% |
| Hispanic | 14.3% | 15.55% | 8.74% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 4.13% | 6.54% | 58.35% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 2.93% | 2.69% | -8.19% |
| Two or More Races | 2.81% | 2.37% | -15.66% |
| Black | 0.91% | 1.32% | 45.05% |
Sala ancestry composition
23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Sala is Italian, which comprises 19.4% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are British & Irish (19.4%) and Spanish & Portuguese (19.0%). Additional ancestries include French & German, Eastern European, Scandinavian, Filipino & Austronesian, and Greek & Balkan.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| Italian | 19.4% |
| British & Irish | 19.4% |
| Spanish & Portuguese | 19.0% |
| Other | 42.2% |
Possible origins of the surname Sala
Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.
Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Sala have recent ancestry locations spanning a few countries, mostly in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 48.80% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 48.80% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 48.80% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 48.80% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 48.80% |
What Sala haplogroups can tell you
Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.
The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Sala is R-P311, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-P311 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-U152 and R-M417, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Bernhardt, Clemente, Diez, Camara, Toma, Knopp, Talavera, Arana, Merlo, Andre.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Sala surname are: H1, T2b, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette
Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.
What do people with the surname Sala have in common?
Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.
Preferences
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Sala" Surname 27.3%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Misophonia
When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.
"Sala" Surname 27.3%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Sala" Surname 17.5%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Sala" Surname 14.3%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Sala?
The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.
Disease variant frequency by ancestry
Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Sala are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition