2000
#30,023
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 737
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.27
Very Rare Last name
Vallez
A French surname derived from the Old French word "val" meaning "valley."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 885 Americans carry the last name Vallez. That puts it at #32,025 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.26 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 387,293 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Vallez 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
885
1 in 387,293
Census rank
#32,025
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
772
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 772 bearers of the surname Vallez in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.26 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 32025th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Vallez, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 81.1%. The next largest groups are White (14.2%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Vallez can be found in the Cartulario de San Millán de la Cogolla, a historical document from the 10th century that contains references to individuals bearing this name in the region of La Rioja, Spain.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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Vallez
Among Census respondents with the surname Vallez, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 81.1%. The next largest groups are White (14.2%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Vallez 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 Vallez surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino81.1% · 626
- White14.2% · 110
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.9% · 15
- Two or more races1.3% · 10
- Black or African American1.2% · 9
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.3% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Vallez
Vallez 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
#32,524
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 707
-30 bearers (-4.1%)
Per 100,000 0.24
Rank movement Down 2,501 places
2020
#32,025
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 772
+65 bearers (+9.2%)
Per 100,000 0.26
Rank movement Up 499 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #30,023 | 737 | 0.27 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #32,524 | 707 | 0.24 | -30 bearers (-4.1%) | Down 2,501 places |
| 2020 | #32,025 | 772 | 0.26 | +65 bearers (+9.2%) | Up 499 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 Vallez 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 | #32,524 | #32,025 | 1.5% |
| Count | 707 | 772 | 9.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.24 | 0.26 | 7.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Vallez bearers went from 707 to 772 (+9.2% change). The surname moved up 499 positions in the national ranking, going from #32,524 to #32,025.
FAQ
Vallez surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Vallez?
Name Census estimates that about 885 living Americans carry the surname Vallez. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 387,293 residents.
How common is Vallez?
Vallez ranks #32,025 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.26 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 772 people with the surname Vallez. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (885), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.26 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.26 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Vallez.
Has Vallez become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Vallez went from 707 recorded bearers to 772. That is an increase of 65 (+9.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #32,524 to #32,025.
What does the Census say about the background of Vallez?
Among Census respondents with the surname Vallez, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 81.1%. The next largest groups are White (14.2%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.9%). 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 Vallez in the 2020 Census, accounting for 81.1% (626 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Vallez appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (81.1%), White (14.2%), American Indian/Alaska Native (1.9%). 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 Vallez (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 Vallez mean?
A French surname derived from the Old French word "val" meaning "valley." 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 Vallez (0.26 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 share the surname Vallez?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.