2000
#54,020
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 358
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.13
Very Rare Last name
Varella
A variant spelling of the Spanish surname Barela, derived from the word "barra" meaning bar or rod.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 593 Americans carry the last name Varella. That puts it at #44,679 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.17 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 578,001 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Varella 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
593
1 in 578,001
Census rank
#44,679
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
517
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 517 bearers of the surname Varella in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.17 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 44679th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Varella, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 56.3%. The next largest groups are White (30.9%) and Black (7.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Varella
The surname VARELLA originated in Spain and Portugal during the medieval period. It is derived from the Latin word "vallicella," meaning a small valley or dell. The name likely referred to a person who lived near a small valley or came from a specific place with that geographical feature.
The earliest recorded instances of the surname VARELLA can be traced back to the 12th century in various Spanish and Portuguese records. It was commonly found in the regions of Galicia, Catalonia, and northern Portugal. Variations in spelling, such as Varela, Varela, and Varella, were common during that time.
One of the earliest documented references to the name VARELLA is in the "Libro de las Behetrías" (Book of Lordships) from the 14th century, which recorded landowners and their properties in the regions of Castile and León, Spain. This record mentions individuals with the surname VARELLA holding lands in various villages and towns.
In the 15th century, a notable figure with the surname VARELLA was Juan de Varella (c. 1430-1490), a Spanish explorer and navigator who accompanied Christopher Columbus on his second voyage to the Americas in 1493. He played a significant role in the exploration and settlement of the Caribbean islands.
Another prominent individual was Rodrigo de Varella (c. 1500-1570), a Portuguese architect and military engineer who designed several fortifications and defensive structures in Portugal and its overseas territories during the 16th century.
In the 17th century, Alonso de Varella (1610-1677) was a Spanish painter known for his religious works, particularly those commissioned for churches and monasteries in Madrid and Seville.
During the 18th century, Pedro Varella (1720-1782) was a prominent Portuguese mathematician and astronomer who made significant contributions to the field of celestial mechanics and the calculation of planetary orbits.
In the 19th century, José María Varella (1830-1895) was a Spanish politician and lawyer who served as a member of the Congress of Deputies and played a role in the establishment of the First Spanish Republic.
These examples illustrate the historical presence of the surname VARELLA across various fields, including exploration, architecture, art, science, and politics, primarily in the Iberian Peninsula and its former territories.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Varella
Among Census respondents with the surname Varella, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 56.3%. The next largest groups are White (30.9%) and Black (7.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Varella 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 Varella surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino56.3% · 291
- White30.9% · 160
- Black or African American7.2% · 37
- Asian and Pacific Islander3.1% · 16
- Two or more races1.9% · 10
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Varella
Varella 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
#48,436
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 436
+78 bearers (+21.8%)
Per 100,000 0.15
Rank movement Up 5,584 places
2020
#44,679
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 517
+81 bearers (+18.6%)
Per 100,000 0.17
Rank movement Up 3,757 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #54,020 | 358 | 0.13 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #48,436 | 436 | 0.15 | +78 bearers (+21.8%) | Up 5,584 places |
| 2020 | #44,679 | 517 | 0.17 | +81 bearers (+18.6%) | Up 3,757 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 Varella 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 | #48,436 | #44,679 | 7.8% |
| Count | 436 | 517 | 18.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.15 | 0.17 | 15.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Varella bearers went from 436 to 517 (+18.6% change). The surname moved up 3,757 positions in the national ranking, going from #48,436 to #44,679.
FAQ
Varella surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Varella?
Name Census estimates that about 593 living Americans carry the surname Varella. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 578,001 residents.
How common is Varella?
Varella ranks #44,679 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.17 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 517 people with the surname Varella. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (593), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.17 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.17 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 Varella.
Has Varella become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Varella went from 436 recorded bearers to 517. That is an increase of 81 (+18.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #48,436 to #44,679.
What does the Census say about the background of Varella?
Among Census respondents with the surname Varella, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 56.3%. The next largest groups are White (30.9%) and Black (7.2%). 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 Varella in the 2020 Census, accounting for 56.3% (291 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Varella appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (56.3%), White (30.9%), Black (7.2%). 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 Varella (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 Varella mean?
A variant spelling of the Spanish surname Barela, derived from the word "barra" meaning bar or 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 Varella (0.17 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 common is the surname Varella?
You can see how many people are called Varella on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.