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

Viera, 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 Viera surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Viera in America

Viera is the 3024th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Viera surname appeared 11,861 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 4 people would have the surname Viera.

We can also compare 2010 data for Viera 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 Viera

The surname Viera originates from Portugal, with its earliest recorded use dating back to the 13th century. It is derived from the Portuguese word "vieira," which means "scallop shell." The name was likely adopted as a surname by individuals who lived near the sea or were involved in fishing or maritime activities.

In the 14th century, the Viera surname appeared in various historical records and documents, such as land deeds and tax rolls. One notable early reference is found in the "Livro Velho de Linhagens" (Old Book of Lineages), a Portuguese genealogical text compiled in the late 13th and early 14th centuries.

The earliest recorded bearer of the surname Viera was João Viera, a nobleman from the town of Barcelos in northern Portugal, who lived during the 13th century. Another early bearer was Fernão Viera, a 14th-century Portuguese explorer and navigator who participated in the discovery and exploration of the Canary Islands.

During the 15th and 16th centuries, the Viera surname became more widespread throughout Portugal and its colonies. Some notable individuals with this surname include:

1. Tomé Viera (1470-1540), a Portuguese explorer who accompanied Ferdinand Magellan on the first circumnavigation of the globe.

2. António Viera (1608-1697), a Portuguese Jesuit priest, renowned writer, and orator, often referred to as the "Prince of Portuguese Pulpit Orators."

3. Baltasar Viera (1630-1688), a Portuguese architect and military engineer who designed several fortifications in Brazil and Angola.

4. Manuel Viera (1715-1789), a Spanish-born Portuguese painter known for his religious and historical works.

5. José da Cunha Viera (1820-1897), a Brazilian lawyer, politician, and journalist who served as the Prime Minister of Brazil from 1885 to 1886.

The surname Viera was also found in various place names, such as Vieira de Leiria, a municipality in central Portugal, and Vieira do Minho, a town in northern Portugal. These place names likely derived from the Portuguese word "vieira," indicating the presence of scallop shells or maritime activities in those areas.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Viera

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

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

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

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