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

Venezuela, 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 Venezuela surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Venezuela in America

Venezuela is the 125282nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Venezuela surname appeared 137 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 Venezuela.

We can also compare 2010 data for Venezuela 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 Venezuela

The surname Venezuela is a unique and fascinating case, as it is derived from the name of a country rather than a traditional surname origin. It is believed to have originated as a nickname or locational surname for someone who hailed from or had a connection to the South American nation of Venezuela.

The name Venezuela itself is thought to have its roots in the Italian word "Veneziola," which means "Little Venice." This moniker was bestowed upon the region by Italian explorer Amerigo Vespucci during his travels in the early 16th century, as he was reminded of the architectural beauty and canals of Venice when he encountered the indigenous stilt houses along the coast of what is now Venezuela.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Venezuela can be found in the writings of Spanish conquistador Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada, who led an expedition into the region in 1536. In his chronicles, he referred to the land as "Venezuela" and its inhabitants as "Venezolanos," which likely inspired the adoption of the name as a surname by some of the local populace.

Throughout the colonial era, the surname Venezuela was primarily concentrated in the regions that now comprise modern-day Venezuela, as well as parts of neighboring Colombia and the Caribbean islands. Notable historical figures who bore this surname include:

1. Diego de Venezuela (c. 1525 - 1595), a Spanish conquistador and one of the earliest settlers in the region.
2. María de Venezuela (c. 1550 - 1620), a prominent figure in the resistance against Spanish colonization and a revered leader among the indigenous Carib people.
3. Juan de Venezuela (c. 1570 - 1635), a Franciscan friar and missionary who established several churches and missions in the Venezuelan interior.
4. Catalina de Venezuela (c. 1600 - 1670), a renowned healer and herbalist whose knowledge of traditional medicine was widely sought after.
5. Pedro de Venezuela (c. 1650 - 1720), a wealthy landowner and cattle rancher who played a significant role in the early development of the Venezuelan economy.

As the centuries passed and immigration patterns shifted, the surname Venezuela also began to appear in other parts of the Americas and Europe, though it remained relatively uncommon outside of its geographic namesake. Today, it continues to be a source of pride and cultural identity for those who trace their lineage to the beautiful and diverse nation of Venezuela.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Venezuela

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

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

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

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