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

Vallez, 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 Vallez surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Vallez in America

Vallez is the 32524th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Vallez surname appeared 707 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Vallez.

We can also compare 2010 data for Vallez 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 Vallez

The surname Vallez has its origins in the Iberian Peninsula, with roots dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to be a variant of the Spanish surname Valles, which itself derives from the Latin word "vallis," meaning "valley."

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Vallez can be found in the Cartulario de San Millán de la Cogolla, a historical document from the 10th century that contains references to individuals bearing this name in the region of La Rioja, Spain.

During the Reconquista, a period of medieval history marked by the Christian reconquest of the Iberian Peninsula from the Moors, several individuals with the surname Vallez fought alongside Spanish nobility. Notably, Juan Vallez was a renowned knight who participated in the conquest of Seville in 1248, under the command of King Ferdinand III of Castile.

In the 15th century, the Vallez family gained prominence in the Kingdom of Aragon, with several members holding influential positions within the nobility. One notable figure was Rodrigo Vallez de Aragon, a powerful nobleman who served as the Grand Master of the Order of Montesa from 1477 to 1486.

The surname Vallez also has a historical presence in Portugal, where it is often spelled as "Vales" or "Vales." In the 16th century, João Vales was a prominent Portuguese explorer who embarked on expeditions to the Americas and the East Indies, contributing to the expansion of the Portuguese Empire.

In the 17th century, the Vallez surname found its way to the Americas, carried by Spanish and Portuguese settlers. One notable figure was Diego Vallez, a Spanish conquistador who accompanied Hernán Cortés in the conquest of Mexico and later served as the governor of Nueva Galicia (present-day western Mexico) from 1548 to 1553.

Throughout history, other notable individuals bearing the surname Vallez include:

1. Miguel Vallez (1554-1624), a Spanish painter and sculptor from Seville.
2. Francisco Vallez de Covarrubias (1619-1692), a Spanish writer and poet.
3. Juan Vallez de Alvarado (1668-1733), a Spanish military officer and governor of Cuba.
4. Tomás Vallez Villanúa (1735-1809), a Spanish philosopher and theologian.
5. José Vallez Arácil (1790-1865), a Spanish politician and magistrate.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Vallez

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

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

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

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