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

Valero, 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 Valero surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Valero in America

Valero is the 7177th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Valero surname appeared 4,660 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Valero.

We can also compare 2010 data for Valero 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 Valero

The surname Valero originated in Spain during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Latin word "valerius," which means "strong" or "vigorous." This name likely referred to an individual with a robust or hardy constitution.

The earliest recorded instance of the Valero surname can be found in the Becerro de Behetrías, a medieval census of Castilian landowners from the 14th century. This document mentions several individuals with the surname Valero residing in the regions of Burgos and Palencia.

During the 15th century, the Valero surname began appearing in various historical records across Spain, particularly in the regions of Andalusia and Aragon. One notable individual from this era was Rodrigo Valero, a knight who fought alongside King Ferdinand II of Aragon during the Reconquista, the Christian reconquest of the Iberian Peninsula from the Moors. Valero was born in 1455 and died in 1525.

In the 16th century, a prominent figure bearing the Valero surname was Juan Valero, a Spanish explorer and navigator. He was born in Seville in 1510 and was part of the expedition led by Juan Sebastián Elcano, which completed the first circumnavigation of the globe after the death of Ferdinand Magellan. Valero played a crucial role in this historic voyage and is mentioned in several accounts from that time.

Another significant individual with the Valero surname was María Valero, a renowned painter from the 17th century. Born in Madrid in 1620, she was one of the few female artists of the Spanish Golden Age and is known for her religious paintings and portraits. Her works can be found in various churches and museums across Spain.

In the 18th century, the Valero surname gained prominence in the literary world with the writer and playwright Antonio Valero y Losa. Born in Valencia in 1744, he authored several plays and poems that were widely acclaimed during his lifetime. His most famous work is the play "El Amor Enamorado," which explored themes of love and passion.

Over the centuries, the Valero surname has spread beyond Spain to other parts of the world, including Latin America and the Philippines, due to Spanish colonization and migration. While the name has evolved slightly in its spelling and pronunciation in different regions, its origins can be traced back to the proud heritage of medieval Spain.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Valero

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

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

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

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