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

Valera, 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 Valera surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Valera in America

Valera is the 8392nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Valera surname appeared 3,944 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Valera.

We can also compare 2010 data for Valera 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 Valera

The surname Valera has its origins in Spain, and it is believed to have emerged sometime during the 13th or 14th century. The name is derived from the Spanish word "valera," which means "a small valley" or "a shallow ravine." This suggests that the name likely originated as a toponymic surname, referring to a person who lived near or came from a small valley or ravine.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Valera can be found in the archives of the medieval Kingdom of Castile, where a certain Diego de Valera is mentioned as a prominent writer and historian during the reign of King John II in the 15th century. Diego de Valera is known for his works such as "Memorial de diversas hazañas" (Memorial of Various Deeds) and "Crónica de los Reyes Católicos" (Chronicle of the Catholic Monarchs).

Another notable bearer of the surname Valera was Gaspar Melchor de Jovellanos, a Spanish Enlightenment writer, philosopher, and statesman who lived from 1744 to 1811. He played a significant role in the cultural and political reforms of his time and is considered one of the most influential figures of the Spanish Enlightenment.

In the world of literature, Juan Valera y Alcalá-Galiano (1824-1905) was a prominent Spanish novelist, poet, and diplomat. He is best known for his novel "Pepita Jiménez," which is considered one of the masterpieces of 19th-century Spanish literature.

The surname Valera also has a strong presence in the field of sports. One example is José Valera, a Spanish professional tennis player who was born in 1971. He achieved a career-high singles ranking of No. 23 in the world and won several ATP Tour titles.

Another notable figure with the surname Valera is María Valera, a Spanish actress born in 1964. She has appeared in numerous television series and films throughout her career and has received several awards and nominations for her performances.

While the surname Valera has its roots in Spain, it has also spread to other parts of the world, particularly Latin American countries, due to Spanish colonization and migration. However, the earliest recorded instances of the name and its historical significance can be traced back to the Iberian Peninsula.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Valera

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

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

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

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