2000
#14,831
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,834
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.68
Rare Last name
Valiente
Derived from the Spanish word meaning "brave" or "valiant," likely referring to a courageous ancestor or person.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,923 Americans carry the last name Valiente. That puts it at #11,755 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.85 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 117,261 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Valiente surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
2.9K
1 in 117,261
Census rank
#11,755
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,549 bearers of the surname Valiente in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.85 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 11755th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Valiente, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 80.7%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (11.5%) and White (6.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Valiente
The surname Valiente originated in Spain during the medieval period. It is derived from the Spanish word "valiente," which means "brave" or "courageous." The name likely evolved from a nickname given to someone who exhibited exceptional bravery or valor in battle or in other circumstances.
The earliest known record of the surname Valiente dates back to the 13th century in the region of Andalusia, southern Spain. It is believed that the name may have been initially bestowed upon a soldier or knight who displayed remarkable courage during the Reconquista, the centuries-long conflict between Christian and Muslim forces for control of the Iberian Peninsula.
One of the earliest documented individuals with the surname Valiente was Pedro Valiente, a military commander who fought alongside King Ferdinand III of Castile during the conquest of Cordoba in 1236. Pedro Valiente was celebrated for his bravery and tactical skills during the campaign.
Another notable figure with the surname Valiente was Juan Valiente, a renowned poet and playwright from Seville who lived during the late 15th and early 16th centuries. His works, including the play "La Constancia Coronada," were widely acclaimed for their literary merit and explored themes of honor, courage, and loyalty.
In the 16th century, the Valiente family had established a presence in various regions of Spain, including Aragon and Catalonia. One prominent member was Rodrigo Valiente, a respected jurist and legal scholar who served as a judge in the Audiencia Real (Royal Court) of Valencia in the mid-1500s.
During the Spanish colonization of the Americas, several individuals with the surname Valiente played significant roles in the exploration and settlement of the New World. One such figure was Diego Valiente, a conquistador who accompanied Hernán Cortés on his expedition to conquer Mexico in the early 1500s. Diego Valiente was known for his bravery in battle against the Aztec forces.
In the 18th century, Miguel Valiente (1710-1789) was a celebrated artist and painter from Madrid. His works, often depicting religious scenes and portraits, adorned numerous churches and aristocratic homes throughout Spain.
The surname Valiente has since spread to various parts of the Spanish-speaking world, including Latin America, where it continues to carry the connotation of courage and valor associated with its Spanish origins.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Valiente
Among Census respondents with the surname Valiente, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 80.7%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (11.5%) and White (6.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Valiente bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Valiente surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino80.7% · 2,056
- Asian and Pacific Islander11.5% · 293
- White6.2% · 159
- Two or more races1.1% · 27
- Black or African American0.5% · 13
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Valiente
Valiente appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#12,289
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,530
+696 bearers (+37.9%)
Per 100,000 0.86
Rank movement Up 2,542 places
2020
#11,755
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,549
+19 bearers (+0.8%)
Per 100,000 0.85
Rank movement Up 534 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #14,831 | 1,834 | 0.68 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #12,289 | 2,530 | 0.86 | +696 bearers (+37.9%) | Up 2,542 places |
| 2020 | #11,755 | 2,549 | 0.85 | +19 bearers (+0.8%) | Up 534 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Valiente surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #12,289 | #11,755 | 4.3% |
| Count | 2,530 | 2,549 | 0.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.86 | 0.85 | -0.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Valiente bearers went from 2,530 to 2,549 (+0.8% change). The surname moved up 534 positions in the national ranking, going from #12,289 to #11,755.
FAQ
Valiente surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Valiente?
Name Census estimates that about 2,923 living Americans carry the surname Valiente. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 117,261 residents.
How common is Valiente?
Valiente ranks #11,755 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.85 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,549 people with the surname Valiente. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,923), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.85 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.85 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Valiente.
Has Valiente become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Valiente went from 2,530 recorded bearers to 2,549. That is an increase of 19 (+0.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #12,289 to #11,755.
What does the Census say about the background of Valiente?
Among Census respondents with the surname Valiente, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 80.7%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (11.5%) and White (6.2%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Valiente in the 2020 Census, accounting for 80.7% (2,056 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Valiente appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (80.7%), Asian/Pacific Islander (11.5%), White (6.2%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Valiente (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Valiente mean?
Derived from the Spanish word meaning "brave" or "valiant," likely referring to a courageous ancestor or person. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Valiente (0.85 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the surname Valiente?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.