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

Valenzuela, 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 Valenzuela surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Valenzuela in America

Valenzuela is the 584th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Valenzuela surname appeared 57,383 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 19 people would have the surname Valenzuela.

We can also compare 2010 data for Valenzuela 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 Valenzuela

The surname Valenzuela is of Spanish origin, originating in the region of Valencia, Spain. It is derived from the Spanish place name "Valencia," which comes from the Latin "Valentia," meaning "strength" or "valor." The name likely emerged in the Middle Ages, during the period of the Reconquista, when the Iberian Peninsula was being reclaimed from Moorish rule.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname Valenzuela can be traced back to the 13th century in documents from the Kingdom of Aragon, which included parts of modern-day Valencia. One notable example is Pedro de Valenzuela, a nobleman and military leader who fought in the Reconquista and was granted lands in Valencia in the late 13th century.

During the 15th and 16th centuries, the Valenzuela name gained prominence in Spain, with several members of the family holding important positions in the Spanish court and military. One of the most famous figures was Francisco Valenzuela, a Spanish diplomat and courtier who served as the chief minister to King Charles II of Spain in the late 17th century.

As the Spanish Empire expanded into the Americas, the Valenzuela surname spread to various regions of the New World. In the 16th century, Juan de Valenzuela was one of the early Spanish settlers and conquistadors in Mexico, where he played a role in the conquest of the Aztec Empire.

Another notable figure with the Valenzuela surname was Diego de Valenzuela, a Spanish explorer and soldier who accompanied Francisco Pizarro on his expedition to Peru in the 1530s. He later became one of the first Spanish settlers in Peru and was granted lands in the region.

In the 18th century, José de Valenzuela y Enciso was a prominent Spanish painter and engraver, known for his religious works and portraits of Spanish nobility. He was born in Madrid in 1676 and died in 1744.

Throughout its history, the Valenzuela surname has been associated with various places in Spain, such as the city of Valencia and the surrounding region, as well as other areas where Spanish settlers established themselves during the colonial period in the Americas.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Valenzuela

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

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 Valenzuela 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 Valenzuela 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 Valenzuela was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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