2000
#148,244
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Fossella
A surname likely derived from the Italian word "fossa" meaning ditch or trench.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 138 Americans carry the last name Fossella. That puts it at #142,049 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,483,727 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Fossella surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
138
1 in 2,483,727
Census rank
#142,049
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
120
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 120 bearers of the surname Fossella in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142049th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Fossella, the largest self-reported group is White at 73.3%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (12.5%) and Hispanic (10.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Fossella
The surname Fossella is of Italian origin, with its roots traced back to the medieval period in the regions of Tuscany and Liguria. Derived from the Latin word "fossatus," meaning "ditch" or "moat," it is believed that the name was initially bestowed upon individuals who lived near or worked with ditches or moats.
In the early records of the 13th century, variations of the name, such as "Fossella" and "Fosselli," can be found in historical documents from the cities of Florence and Genoa. These early mentions suggest that the name was already established in these regions during that time.
One of the earliest documented instances of the Fossella name can be found in the Florentine Priorista, a record of the city's priors (civic officials) from 1282 to 1532. In this document, a certain Fossella di Berto is listed as a prior in the year 1298, indicating the prominence of the family in the city's political affairs.
The name Fossella also appears in the renowned Libro d'Oro della Nobiltà Italiana (Book of Gold of the Italian Nobility), a genealogical record of noble families in Italy. This suggests that the Fossella family may have held a certain degree of nobility or social status during that time.
One notable figure from history bearing the Fossella name was Giovanni Battista Fossella, a 16th-century Italian architect and engineer born in Genoa in 1525. He is known for his contributions to the construction of several significant buildings in his hometown, including the Church of Gesù e Maria and the Palazzo Spinola.
Another individual of note was Bartolomeo Fossella, a 17th-century painter from Florence who was active between 1630 and 1660. His works, primarily religious paintings, can still be found in various churches and galleries throughout Tuscany.
In the 18th century, the Fossella name gained recognition in the literary world with the writer and philosopher Francesco Maria Fossella, born in Naples in 1718. He is remembered for his essays and philosophical treatises on various subjects, including ethics and aesthetics.
Towards the end of the 19th century, a notable figure bearing the Fossella surname was Giuseppe Fossella, a prominent Italian lawyer and politician born in Palermo, Sicily, in 1858. He served as a member of the Italian Parliament and was actively involved in the political affairs of his time.
Throughout the centuries, the Fossella name has been associated with various professions and endeavors, from architecture and art to literature and politics, suggesting a diverse range of accomplishments by individuals carrying this surname.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Fossella
Among Census respondents with the surname Fossella, the largest self-reported group is White at 73.3%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (12.5%) and Hispanic (10.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Fossella bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Fossella surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White73.3% · 88
- American Indian and Alaska Native12.5% · 15
- Hispanic or Latino10.0% · 12
- Two or more races4.2% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Fossella
Fossella appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#142,108
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
+15 bearers (+14.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 6,136 places
2020
#142,049
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
+3 bearers (+2.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 59 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #148,244 | 102 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #142,108 | 117 | 0.04 | +15 bearers (+14.7%) | Up 6,136 places |
| 2020 | #142,049 | 120 | 0.04 | +3 bearers (+2.6%) | Up 59 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Fossella surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #142,108 | #142,049 | 0.0% |
| Count | 117 | 120 | 2.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 0.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Fossella bearers went from 117 to 120 (+2.6% change). The surname moved up 59 positions in the national ranking, going from #142,108 to #142,049.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Fossella
FAQ
Fossella surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Fossella?
Name Census estimates that about 138 living Americans carry the surname Fossella. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,483,727 residents.
How common is Fossella?
Fossella ranks #142,049 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 120 people with the surname Fossella. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (138), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Fossella.
Has Fossella become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Fossella went from 117 recorded bearers to 120. That is an increase of 3 (+2.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #142,108 to #142,049.
What does the Census say about the background of Fossella?
Among Census respondents with the surname Fossella, the largest self-reported group is White at 73.3%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (12.5%) and Hispanic (10.0%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Fossella in the 2020 Census, accounting for 73.3% (88 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Fossella appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (73.3%), American Indian/Alaska Native (12.5%), Hispanic (10.0%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Fossella (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Fossella mean?
A surname likely derived from the Italian word "fossa" meaning ditch or trench. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Fossella (0.04 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people are called Fossella?
If you just want to know how many people are called Fossella, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.