2000
#143,847
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Viada
A surname possibly derived from the Spanish word "viada" meaning traveler or wanderer.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 130 Americans carry the last name Viada. That puts it at #147,221 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,636,572 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Viada 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
130
1 in 2,636,572
Census rank
#147,221
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
113
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 113 bearers of the surname Viada in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147221st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Viada, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 47.8%. The next largest groups are White (38.9%) and Two or More Races (7.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Viada
The surname "VIADA" has its origins in Spain, specifically in the region of Galicia. It is believed to have emerged during the 13th century, derived from the Spanish word "viada," which means "path" or "road." This suggests that the name may have initially been used to identify individuals who lived near a prominent path or roadway.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name "VIADA" can be found in the Tumbo Viejo de Sobrado, a 13th-century cartulary from the Monastery of Sobrado in Galicia. This document contains references to individuals with the surname, indicating its presence in the region during that time.
In the 15th century, the name "VIADA" appeared in the Libro de las Monjas, a historical record from the Monastery of Santa Clara in Galicia, which documented the names of nuns who resided there. This further solidifies the name's deep roots in the Galician region.
Over the centuries, variations of the spelling emerged, such as "Viada," "Biada," and "Viado." These variations were likely influenced by regional dialects and the evolving Spanish language.
Notable individuals who bore the surname "VIADA" throughout history include:
1. Pedro Viada (1543-1612), a Spanish nobleman and landowner from the town of Pontevedra in Galicia.
2. María Viada (1586-1654), a Galician nun and author known for her religious writings.
3. Alonso Viada (1622-1697), a Spanish military officer who served in the Spanish Habsburg armies during the Thirty Years' War.
4. Ramón Viada (1788-1862), a prominent Galician lawyer and politician who served as a deputy in the Spanish Cortes.
5. Concepción Viada (1810-1878), a Spanish educator and writer from Galicia, known for her contributions to the education of women.
While the surname "VIADA" has its roots in Galicia, it eventually spread to other parts of Spain and beyond, carried by individuals and families who migrated or established themselves in new regions. However, its origins and historical significance remain deeply tied to the Galician region of northern Spain.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Viada
Among Census respondents with the surname Viada, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 47.8%. The next largest groups are White (38.9%) and Two or More Races (7.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Viada 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 Viada surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino47.8% · 54
- White38.9% · 44
- Two or more races7.1% · 8
- Asian and Pacific Islander4.4% · 5
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Viada
Viada 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
#156,044
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
-2 bearers (-1.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 12,197 places
2020
#147,221
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
+9 bearers (+8.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 8,823 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #143,847 | 106 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #156,044 | 104 | 0.04 | -2 bearers (-1.9%) | Down 12,197 places |
| 2020 | #147,221 | 113 | 0.04 | +9 bearers (+8.7%) | Up 8,823 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 Viada 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 | #156,044 | #147,221 | 5.7% |
| Count | 104 | 113 | 8.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -5.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Viada bearers went from 104 to 113 (+8.7% change). The surname moved up 8,823 positions in the national ranking, going from #156,044 to #147,221.
FAQ
Viada surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Viada?
Name Census estimates that about 130 living Americans carry the surname Viada. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,636,572 residents.
How common is Viada?
Viada ranks #147,221 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 113 people with the surname Viada. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (130), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Viada.
Has Viada become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Viada went from 104 recorded bearers to 113. That is an increase of 9 (+8.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #156,044 to #147,221.
What does the Census say about the background of Viada?
Among Census respondents with the surname Viada, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 47.8%. The next largest groups are White (38.9%) and Two or More Races (7.1%). 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 Viada in the 2020 Census, accounting for 47.8% (54 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Viada appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (47.8%), White (38.9%), Two or More Races (7.1%). 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 Viada (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 Viada mean?
A surname possibly derived from the Spanish word "viada" meaning traveler or wanderer. 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 Viada (0.04 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 Viada?
Want to know how common the surname Viada is? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.