Find out how popular the last name Valencia is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Valencia.

Valencia, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Valencia surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Valencia in America

Valencia is the 475th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Valencia surname appeared 70,000 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 24 people would have the surname Valencia.

We can also compare 2010 data for Valencia to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Valencia

The surname Valencia is of Spanish origin and dates back to the medieval period. It derives from the city of Valencia, located on the eastern coast of Spain. The city's name is thought to come from the Latin word "Valentia," meaning "strength" or "valor."

In the early Middle Ages, Valencia was under Moorish rule and was an important center of culture and learning. The city's name was rendered as "Balansiyya" in Arabic. After the Reconquista in the 13th century, when the region was reconquered by Christian forces, the name evolved into its modern Spanish form.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Valencia can be found in the 13th century, when a nobleman named Rodrigo de Valencia was mentioned in a charter from the Kingdom of Aragon. Other early spellings include Valençia and Valentia.

Over the centuries, the Valencia surname has been borne by several notable individuals. One of the most famous was Pedro de Valencia (1555-1620), a Spanish humanist, philosopher, and writer who served as a tutor to the sons of Philip III of Spain.

Another prominent figure was Gregorio Fernández de Valencia (c. 1576-1636), a Spanish sculptor and architect known for his intricate wooden carvings in the Baroque style. His works can be found in numerous churches across Spain.

In the 19th century, José Enrique Rodó (1871-1917), a Uruguayan philosopher and writer, adopted the surname Valencia as a literary pseudonym. His essay "Ariel" became a seminal work in the Latin American literary canon.

The surname also has connections to the New World. Francisco de Valencia (c. 1555-1629) was a Dominican friar and linguist who studied and documented various indigenous languages in Mexico and Central America.

Another notable figure was Pedro de Valencia y Covarrubias (1690-1768), a Spanish naval officer and explorer who commanded several expeditions along the Pacific coast of the Americas and the Mariana Islands.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Valencia

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Valencia.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Valencia was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Valencia has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Valencia was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Valencia, please contact us.

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