2000
#3,170
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,388
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.85
Uncommon Last name
Valles
A Spanish toponymic surname referring to someone living in or near a valley or valleys.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 15,001 Americans carry the last name Valles. That puts it at #2,690 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 4.38 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 22,849 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Valles 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
15K
1 in 22,849
Census rank
#2,690
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
4.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
13K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 13,082 bearers of the surname Valles in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 4.38 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2690th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Valles, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 88.1%. The next largest groups are White (8.2%) and Black (1.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Valles
The surname Valles has its origins in Spain and dates back to the medieval period. It is believed to be derived from the Spanish word "valle," which means "valley." This suggests that the name may have originally referred to someone who lived in or near a valley.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Valles can be found in the Partidas, a legal code compiled in the 13th century during the reign of Alfonso X of Castile. This document contains references to individuals with the surname Valles, suggesting that the name was already in use by that time.
In the 14th century, the name appeared in various legal documents and records from the regions of Catalonia and Aragon. For example, a certain Pedro Valles was mentioned in a document from the city of Barcelona in 1347, indicating the presence of the surname in that area.
During the 15th and 16th centuries, the name Valles became more widespread throughout Spain, particularly in the regions of Andalusia and Extremadura. Some notable individuals from this period include Juan Valles, a physician and scholar born in Covarrubias in the 16th century, and Rodrigo Valles, a military commander who participated in the conquest of Mexico in the early 16th century.
In the 17th century, the name Valles also appeared in various historical records from Spanish colonies in the Americas. One example is Diego Valles, a conquistador and explorer who participated in the exploration of present-day Chile and Argentina in the early 1600s.
Another notable figure with the surname Valles was Francisco Valles, a renowned Spanish painter who lived in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. His works can be found in various churches and museums in Spain.
As the name Valles spread throughout Spain and its colonies, it underwent various spelling variations, such as Vallas, Valles, and Vallés. Additionally, the name may have been influenced by or derived from various place names, such as the town of Valles in Catalonia or the Valle de Arán region in the Pyrenees mountains.
While the surname Valles is most commonly associated with Spain and its historical territories, it has also been found in other parts of the world, likely due to migration and cultural exchange. However, its roots can be traced back to the medieval period in the Iberian Peninsula, where it emerged as a name linked to the geographic features of valleys and likely referred to the place of origin or residence of its earliest bearers.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Valles
Among Census respondents with the surname Valles, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 88.1%. The next largest groups are White (8.2%) and Black (1.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Valles 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 Valles surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino88.1% · 11,522
- White8.2% · 1,071
- Black or African American1.4% · 177
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.3% · 175
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 77
- Two or more races0.5% · 60
Timeline
Historical Census data for Valles
Valles 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
#2,614
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 13,777
+3,389 bearers (+32.6%)
Per 100,000 4.67
Rank movement Up 556 places
2020
#2,690
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 13,082
-695 bearers (-5.0%)
Per 100,000 4.38
Rank movement Down 76 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,170 | 10,388 | 3.85 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,614 | 13,777 | 4.67 | +3,389 bearers (+32.6%) | Up 556 places |
| 2020 | #2,690 | 13,082 | 4.38 | -695 bearers (-5.0%) | Down 76 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 Valles 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 | #2,614 | #2,690 | -2.9% |
| Count | 13,777 | 13,082 | -5.0% |
| Per 100K | 4.67 | 4.38 | -6.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Valles bearers went from 13,777 to 13,082 (-5.0% change). The surname moved down 76 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,614 to #2,690.
FAQ
Valles surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Valles?
Name Census estimates that about 15,001 living Americans carry the surname Valles. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 22,849 residents.
How common is Valles?
Valles ranks #2,690 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 4.38 per 100,000 residents, which is about 4 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 13,082 people with the surname Valles. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (15,001), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 4.38 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 4.38 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 4 of them to have the surname Valles.
Has Valles become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Valles went from 13,777 recorded bearers to 13,082. That is a decrease of 695 (-5.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #2,614 to #2,690.
What does the Census say about the background of Valles?
Among Census respondents with the surname Valles, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 88.1%. The next largest groups are White (8.2%) and Black (1.4%). 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 Valles in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.1% (11,522 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Valles appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (88.1%), White (8.2%), Black (1.4%). 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 Valles (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 Valles mean?
A Spanish toponymic surname referring to someone living in or near a valley or valleys. 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 Valles (4.38 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 last name Valles?
If you just want to know how many people have the surname Valles, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.