2000
#2,871
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,484
First available Census row
Per 100,000 4.26
Uncommon Last name
Valdivia
A toponymic surname referring to someone from Valdivia, a city in southern Chile, or various places in Spain.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 17,865 Americans carry the last name Valdivia. That puts it at #2,279 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 5.21 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 19,186 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Valdivia 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
18K
1 in 19,186
Census rank
#2,279
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
5.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
16K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 15,579 bearers of the surname Valdivia in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 5.21 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2279th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Valdivia, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 93.6%. The next largest groups are White (4.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Valdivia
The surname Valdivia originated in Spain, specifically from the region of Castile and León. It is believed to have derived from the Spanish place name "Valdivia," which translates to "valley of Vida." This place name is thought to have originated from the Latin words "vallis" (valley) and a personal name, possibly "Vida" or a variation thereof.
The earliest recorded instances of the Valdivia surname can be traced back to the 13th century, with mentions found in historical documents from the Kingdom of Castile. One notable early reference is in the Becerro de las Behetrías de Castilla, a medieval census-like record from the 14th century.
In the 16th century, Pedro de Valdivia, a Spanish conquistador born around 1497 in Castuera, Extremadura, played a significant role in the conquest of Chile. He founded several cities, including Santiago, and was appointed as the first Royal Governor of Chile. Tragically, he was killed in a battle with indigenous Mapuche warriors in 1554.
Another notable figure with the Valdivia surname was Pedro de Valdivia y Maldonado, born in 1502 in Castuera, Spain. He was a Spanish explorer and conquistador who accompanied Francisco Pizarro in the conquest of Peru and later became the first governor of the territory of Tucumán (now part of Argentina).
In the 17th century, Diego de Valdivia y Mendoza, born in 1568 in Baeza, Spain, was a Spanish painter known for his religious works. His paintings can be found in various churches and museums throughout Spain.
The Valdivia surname also has a connection to the city of Valdivia in southern Chile, which was founded in 1552 by Pedro de Valdivia. The city's name was derived from the surname of its founder, reflecting the influence and legacy of this family in the region.
Throughout history, the Valdivia surname has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including explorers, conquistadors, artists, and military figures, all linked to the rich heritage and history of Spain and its colonial endeavors in the Americas.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Valdivia
Among Census respondents with the surname Valdivia, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 93.6%. The next largest groups are White (4.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Valdivia 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 Valdivia surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino93.6% · 14,584
- White4.9% · 757
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 85
- Two or more races0.5% · 85
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 38
- Black or African American0.2% · 30
Timeline
Historical Census data for Valdivia
Valdivia 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
#2,293
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 15,895
+4,411 bearers (+38.4%)
Per 100,000 5.39
Rank movement Up 578 places
2020
#2,279
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 15,579
-316 bearers (-2.0%)
Per 100,000 5.21
Rank movement Up 14 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,871 | 11,484 | 4.26 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,293 | 15,895 | 5.39 | +4,411 bearers (+38.4%) | Up 578 places |
| 2020 | #2,279 | 15,579 | 5.21 | -316 bearers (-2.0%) | Up 14 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 Valdivia 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 | #2,293 | #2,279 | 0.6% |
| Count | 15,895 | 15,579 | -2.0% |
| Per 100K | 5.39 | 5.21 | -3.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Valdivia bearers went from 15,895 to 15,579 (-2.0% change). The surname moved up 14 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,293 to #2,279.
FAQ
Valdivia surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Valdivia?
Name Census estimates that about 17,865 living Americans carry the surname Valdivia. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 19,186 residents.
How common is Valdivia?
Valdivia ranks #2,279 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 5.21 per 100,000 residents, which is about 5 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 15,579 people with the surname Valdivia. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (17,865), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 5.21 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 5.21 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 5 of them to have the surname Valdivia.
Has Valdivia become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Valdivia went from 15,895 recorded bearers to 15,579. That is a decrease of 316 (-2.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #2,293 to #2,279.
What does the Census say about the background of Valdivia?
Among Census respondents with the surname Valdivia, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 93.6%. The next largest groups are White (4.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.5%). 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?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Valdivia in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.6% (14,584 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Valdivia appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (93.6%), White (4.9%), Asian/Pacific Islander (0.5%). 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 Valdivia (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 Valdivia mean?
A toponymic surname referring to someone from Valdivia, a city in southern Chile, or various places in Spain. 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 Valdivia (5.21 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 Americans have the surname Valdivia?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.