Vella
A surname found especially in Malta and the Mediterranean, often linked to an old word for a sail, veil, or similar cloth term, though the exact origin can vary by family.
The #8,189 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 76,215 Americans shares it.
Etymology
The surname Vella is commonly treated as Mediterranean in origin, especially Maltese, and may be connected to an older word for a veil, sail, or cloth-like covering. In some cases it has also been explained through Italian or Latin root words of similar shape and meaning, but the precise pathway is not always certain. Because the form is short and widespread around the central Mediterranean, several local explanations have been proposed over time.
History
Vella is one of the best-known Maltese surnames and is also found in southern Italy and among diaspora communities abroad. In older American surname listings it appears as an established family name, but the excerpted source here does not give an etymology, only the name’s presence in census-style frequency lists. The surname became more visible internationally through migration from Malta and nearby Mediterranean regions in the 19th and 20th centuries.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Vella is among the most recognizable Maltese surnames, so in genealogy it is often a useful clue to Maltese or wider central-Mediterranean ancestry.
From the historical record
“Vaught, Veagher; Veasey, Veazie, and Vesey; Veber, Vecary, Vegkle and Vigkle, Veid, Veitz, Vella, Vellins or Vellines, Vennard, Ventriss, Verder, Verling, Verner, Verney, Verron, Verry, Verveer, Vialla and Viaile, Viau, Vicory, Videtto, Viets and Vietz, Vila, Viles, Vinal, Vinto, ViPEN, Visall, Viscord, Visnow…”
— Suffolk Surnames (3rd ed.)Notable people named Vella
- Daphne Caruana Galizia (1964–2017)
- George Vella (b. 1942)
Sourced from Wikidata; linked to their Wikipedia page.