2000
#1,664
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 19,672
First available Census row
Per 100,000 7.29
Uncommon Last name
Varela
A Galician and Portuguese habitational surname referring to someone from any of various places named Varela, meaning "small rod".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 31,012 Americans carry the last name Varela. That puts it at #1,271 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 9.05 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 11,052 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Varela 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Varela with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
31K
1 in 11,052
Census rank
#1,271
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
9.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
27K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 27,044 bearers of the surname Varela in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 9.05 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1271st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Varela, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 89.5%. The next largest groups are White (7.6%) and Black (1.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Varela
Among Census respondents with the surname Varela, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 89.5%. The next largest groups are White (7.6%) and Black (1.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Varela 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 Varela surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino89.5% · 24,214
- White7.6% · 2,042
- Black or African American1.3% · 359
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 168
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 135
- Two or more races0.5% · 126
Timeline
Historical Census data for Varela
Varela 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
#1,321
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 26,621
+6,949 bearers (+35.3%)
Per 100,000 9.02
Rank movement Up 343 places
2020
#1,271
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 27,044
+423 bearers (+1.6%)
Per 100,000 9.05
Rank movement Up 50 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,664 | 19,672 | 7.29 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,321 | 26,621 | 9.02 | +6,949 bearers (+35.3%) | Up 343 places |
| 2020 | #1,271 | 27,044 | 9.05 | +423 bearers (+1.6%) | Up 50 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 Varela 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 | #1,321 | #1,271 | 3.8% |
| Count | 26,621 | 27,044 | 1.6% |
| Per 100K | 9.02 | 9.05 | 0.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Varela bearers went from 26,621 to 27,044 (+1.6% change). The surname moved up 50 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,321 to #1,271.
FAQ
Varela surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Varela?
Name Census estimates that about 31,012 living Americans carry the surname Varela. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 11,052 residents.
How common is Varela?
Varela ranks #1,271 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 9.05 per 100,000 residents, which is about 9 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 27,044 people with the surname Varela. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (31,012), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 9.05 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 9.05 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 9 of them to have the surname Varela.
Has Varela become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Varela went from 26,621 recorded bearers to 27,044. That is an increase of 423 (+1.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #1,321 to #1,271.
What does the Census say about the background of Varela?
Among Census respondents with the surname Varela, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 89.5%. The next largest groups are White (7.6%) and Black (1.3%). 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 Varela in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.5% (24,214 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Varela appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (89.5%), White (7.6%), Black (1.3%). 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 Varela (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 Varela mean?
A Galician and Portuguese habitational surname referring to someone from any of various places named Varela, meaning "small rod". 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 Varela (9.05 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 have the last name Varela?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how common the surname Varela is at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.