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

Valiente, 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 Valiente surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Valiente in America

Valiente is the 12289th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Valiente surname appeared 2,530 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 Valiente.

We can also compare 2010 data for Valiente 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 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.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Valiente

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!