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

Varas, 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 Varas surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Varas in America

Varas is the 39773rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Varas surname appeared 552 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 Varas.

We can also compare 2010 data for Varas 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 Varas

The surname Varas has its origins in Spain, dating back to the medieval period around the 10th century. It is derived from the Spanish word "vara," which means "rod" or "staff," referring to a measuring instrument used in agriculture and construction. The name likely originated as an occupational surname for someone who worked with rods or staffs.

The earliest recorded instances of the name Varas can be found in various historical documents from different regions of Spain, such as Castile, Aragon, and Andalusia. One notable example is the appearance of the name in the "Becerro de las Behetrías," a medieval census document from the 14th century, which listed landowners and their properties.

During the 15th century, the surname Varas began to spread across the Iberian Peninsula and eventually reached the Americas during the Spanish colonization. Historical records from this time period mention individuals with the surname Varas participating in various expeditions and settlements in the New World.

One prominent figure bearing the surname Varas was Juan de Varas, a Spanish conquistador who accompanied Hernán Cortés in the conquest of Mexico in the early 16th century. Another notable individual was Pedro de Varas, a Spanish explorer and navigator who served as a pilot for the Spanish Crown in the late 16th century.

In the 17th century, the surname Varas was found in various regions of Spain, including Andalusia, where a family by the name of Varas y Valdés was prominent in the city of Seville. This family produced several notable individuals, such as Alonso de Varas y Valdés (1590-1667), a respected lawyer and jurist.

As the Spanish Empire expanded, the surname Varas also spread to other parts of the world. In the 18th century, a notable figure was José Antonio de Varas (1730-1793), a Spanish military officer who served as the Governor of Chile from 1786 to 1788.

Throughout the 19th century, the surname Varas continued to be present in various regions of Spain and Latin America. One notable individual was Antonio Varas (1811-1868), a Chilean politician and statesman who served as President of Chile from 1858 to 1860.

While the surname Varas has its roots in Spain, it has since spread to other parts of the world due to migration and the Spanish diaspora. However, its origins can be traced back to the medieval period in Spain, where it likely began as an occupational surname related to the use of rods or staffs in agriculture and construction.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Varas

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

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

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

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