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

Valor, 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 Valor surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Valor in America

Valor is the 86005th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Valor surname appeared 217 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 Valor.

We can also compare 2010 data for Valor 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 Valor

The surname Valor is of Spanish origin, derived from the Spanish word "valor" meaning "courage" or "bravery." This name likely emerged in the Middle Ages, during the time of the Reconquista, the centuries-long period of conflict between Christian and Moorish forces in the Iberian Peninsula.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Valor can be found in the records of the town of Zaragoza, in Aragon, Spain, dating back to the 14th century. It is believed that the name was initially bestowed upon individuals who displayed acts of valor or bravery in battle or other courageous deeds.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Valor surname spread throughout Spain and its colonies in the Americas and the Philippines. In the Spanish conquest of the Americas, several individuals bearing the surname Valor played significant roles, such as Juan de Valor, a soldier who fought alongside Hernán Cortés in the conquest of Mexico in the early 1500s.

As the Spanish Empire expanded, the Valor name traveled to various regions, including Latin America and the Philippines. In the Philippines, one notable figure was Pedro de Valor, a Spanish military officer who served as the interim governor of the Philippines from 1611 to 1612.

In the 18th century, the Valor surname also appeared in parts of Europe, as some Spanish families migrated to other countries. One example is Antonio Valor, a Spanish painter active in Naples, Italy, during the mid-1700s, known for his religious and historical works.

In the 19th century, the Valor surname gained prominence in the literary world with the Spanish writer and playwright Juan Valor García (1824-1892), who wrote several plays and novels that explored themes of Spanish society and culture.

Moving into the 20th century, the Valor surname continued to be associated with notable individuals in various fields. For example, Carlos Valor Garí (1900-1994) was a Spanish ethnographer and folklorist who made significant contributions to the study and preservation of traditional Valencian culture.

Throughout its history, the surname Valor has been closely tied to the concepts of courage, bravery, and valor, reflecting the heritage and values of its Spanish origins. While the name has spread across various regions and cultures, its roots remain deeply rooted in the history and traditions of the Iberian Peninsula.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Valor

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

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

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

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