2000
#3,749
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,686
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.22
Uncommon Last name
Viera
A Spanish surname derived from the word "vieira," meaning scallop shell, likely referring to a pilgrim or crusader.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 12,804 Americans carry the last name Viera. That puts it at #3,147 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.74 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 26,769 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Viera 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 Viera with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
13K
1 in 26,769
Census rank
#3,147
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
11K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 11,166 bearers of the surname Viera in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.74 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3147th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Viera, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 80.3%. The next largest groups are White (16.6%) and Black (1.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Viera
Among Census respondents with the surname Viera, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 80.3%. The next largest groups are White (16.6%) and Black (1.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Viera 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 Viera surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino80.3% · 8,971
- White16.6% · 1,848
- Black or African American1.6% · 176
- Two or more races0.9% · 99
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 54
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 18
Timeline
Historical Census data for Viera
Viera 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
#3,024
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,861
+3,175 bearers (+36.6%)
Per 100,000 4.02
Rank movement Up 725 places
2020
#3,147
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,166
-695 bearers (-5.9%)
Per 100,000 3.74
Rank movement Down 123 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,749 | 8,686 | 3.22 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,024 | 11,861 | 4.02 | +3,175 bearers (+36.6%) | Up 725 places |
| 2020 | #3,147 | 11,166 | 3.74 | -695 bearers (-5.9%) | Down 123 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 Viera 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 | #3,024 | #3,147 | -4.1% |
| Count | 11,861 | 11,166 | -5.9% |
| Per 100K | 4.02 | 3.74 | -7.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Viera bearers went from 11,861 to 11,166 (-5.9% change). The surname moved down 123 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,024 to #3,147.
FAQ
Viera surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Viera?
Name Census estimates that about 12,804 living Americans carry the surname Viera. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 26,769 residents.
How common is Viera?
Viera ranks #3,147 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.74 per 100,000 residents, which is about 4 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 11,166 people with the surname Viera. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (12,804), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.74 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.74 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 4 of them to have the surname Viera.
Has Viera become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Viera went from 11,861 recorded bearers to 11,166. That is a decrease of 695 (-5.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #3,024 to #3,147.
What does the Census say about the background of Viera?
Among Census respondents with the surname Viera, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 80.3%. The next largest groups are White (16.6%) and Black (1.6%). 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 Viera in the 2020 Census, accounting for 80.3% (8,971 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Viera appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (80.3%), White (16.6%), Black (1.6%). 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 Viera (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 Viera mean?
A Spanish surname derived from the word "vieira," meaning scallop shell, likely referring to a pilgrim or crusader. 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 Viera (3.74 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 Viera?
You can see how many people have the surname Viera on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.