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

Varela, 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 Varela surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Varela in America

Varela is the 1321st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Varela surname appeared 26,621 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 9 people would have the surname Varela.

We can also compare 2010 data for Varela 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 Varela

The surname Varela originated in Spain, specifically in the region of Galicia, during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Galician word "varela," which means "small valley" or "little vale." This topographic surname was likely given to someone who lived in or near a small valley.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Varela surname can be found in the Tombo de Celanova, a medieval cartulary from the 10th century, where the name appears as "Varela." This suggests that the surname has its roots in the northwestern part of the Iberian Peninsula, where the Galician language was spoken.

In the 13th century, a notable figure named Pedro Varela was mentioned in the Cantigas de Santa Maria, a collection of Galician-Portuguese poems and songs written during the reign of King Alfonso X of Castile and León. This literary reference provides evidence of the surname's existence and use during that time period.

During the 15th century, a prominent figure named Rodrigo Varela served as a captain in the Spanish army under King Ferdinand II of Aragon. He played a significant role in the conquest of Granada, the last Muslim stronghold on the Iberian Peninsula.

In the 16th century, another notable individual with the Varela surname was Juan de Varela, a Spanish explorer and navigator who participated in expeditions to the New World. He accompanied Hernán Cortés on his conquest of Mexico and later served as a governor in Panama.

In the 18th century, José Varela y Ulloa, a Spanish naval officer and scientist, gained recognition for his contributions to the field of geography. He participated in scientific expeditions and authored several works, including a treatise on the geography of the Spanish territories in South America.

Over the centuries, the Varela surname has spread across various parts of the world, particularly to Latin American countries such as Mexico, Argentina, and Uruguay, due to Spanish colonization and migration. However, it remains most prevalent in Spain, particularly in the regions of Galicia and Asturias.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Varela

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

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

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

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