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

Vilca, 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 Vilca surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Vilca in America

Vilca is the 80678th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Vilca surname appeared 235 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 Vilca.

We can also compare 2010 data for Vilca 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 Vilca

The surname VILCA has its origins in Peru, with records dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to be derived from the Quechua language, spoken by indigenous peoples of the Andes region. The name may have been a toponym, referring to a specific location or village.

Early references to the VILCA surname can be found in colonial records from the Spanish conquest of Peru. One notable example is Francisco Vilca, a local leader who negotiated with Spanish conquistadors in the 1530s. His actions were documented in chronicles by Spanish writers of the time.

During the 17th and 18th centuries, the VILCA name appeared in parish records and census documents from various regions of Peru. Families with this surname were often associated with rural communities or indigenous settlements in the highlands.

In the 19th century, a prominent figure bearing the VILCA name was José María Vilca, a Peruvian military officer and politician who served as a colonel during the War of the Confederation (1836-1839). He was born in 1798 in Arequipa and played a role in the conflict against the short-lived Peru-Bolivian Confederacy.

Another historical figure was Tomás Vilca, a Peruvian artist and painter from the late 19th century. He was known for his portraits and religious works, many of which can be found in churches and galleries across Peru. Vilca was born in 1858 in Cusco and worked during a period of renewed interest in indigenous themes and styles.

In the early 20th century, Enrique Vilca was a notable Peruvian engineer and architect. He was involved in the design and construction of several important projects, including the Palacio de Gobierno in Lima. Vilca was born in 1879 and made significant contributions to the development of modern infrastructure in Peru.

Throughout its history, the VILCA surname has remained closely tied to its Peruvian origins and the Quechua cultural heritage. While not a widely distributed name globally, it has maintained a presence in various regions of Peru, particularly in areas with strong indigenous influences.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Vilca

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

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

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

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