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

Vales, 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 Vales surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Vales in America

Vales is the 16071st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Vales surname appeared 1,802 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 Vales.

We can also compare 2010 data for Vales 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 Vales

The surname Vales originated in the Iberian Peninsula during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Latin word "vallis," meaning a valley or vale. The earliest recorded instances of this surname can be traced back to medieval Spain and Portugal, where it likely referred to someone who lived in or near a valley.

One of the earliest known bearers of this name was Rui Vales, a Portuguese nobleman who lived in the 13th century. Records show that he was a prominent landowner in the region of Beira, which is known for its fertile valleys and rolling hills.

In the 14th century, the name appears in the historic records of the Kingdom of Aragon, which spanned parts of modern-day Spain and France. A notable figure from this time was Juan de Vales, a knight who served in the court of King Pedro IV of Aragon (1319-1387).

As the centuries passed, the Vales surname spread across Europe, with various spellings emerging in different regions. In Italy, for example, the name was sometimes written as "Valli," while in France, it appeared as "Vallée" or "Vallès."

One of the most renowned individuals with this surname was the Italian painter and architect Giuseppe Vales (1597-1676). He was highly regarded for his contributions to the Baroque style and his work can still be seen in several churches and palaces in Rome and other Italian cities.

Another notable figure was the Spanish explorer and navigator Álvaro de Vales (c. 1550-1609), who played a significant role in the early exploration and colonization of the Pacific Ocean. He commanded several voyages across the Pacific and is credited with discovering several islands in the Tuamotu Archipelago.

In the 19th century, the Vales surname gained prominence in the United States, where it was often anglicized to "Vail" or "Vale." One of the most famous Americans with this name was Theodore N. Vail (1845-1920), the former president of AT&T and a pioneer in the development of the modern telephone system.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Vales

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

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

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

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