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

Vilches, 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 Vilches surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Vilches in America

Vilches is the 26042nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Vilches surname appeared 941 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 Vilches.

We can also compare 2010 data for Vilches 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 Vilches

The surname Vilches is of Spanish origin, derived from the toponym Vilches, a municipality located in the province of Jaén, Andalusia, Spain. The name can be traced back to the 13th century, during the Reconquista period when Christian forces were retaking control of the Iberian Peninsula from the Moors.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Vilches can be found in the Repartimiento de Sevilla, a document from 1253 that recorded the distribution of land and property in the city of Seville after its conquest by King Ferdinand III of Castile. This suggests that individuals with the surname Vilches were among the settlers or soldiers who participated in the Reconquista.

The name Vilches is likely derived from the Latin word "villicus," meaning "steward" or "overseer of a villa." This suggests that the name may have initially been an occupational surname given to individuals who managed or oversaw rural estates or agricultural properties.

In the 15th century, the surname Vilches is mentioned in the Libro de la Montería, a hunting treatise compiled for King Alfonso XI of Castile, which lists various locations and individuals involved in hunting activities. This further reinforces the historical presence of the surname in the region of Andalusia.

Notable individuals with the surname Vilches throughout history include:

1. Pedro Vilches (c. 1510 - c. 1570), a Spanish conquistador and explorer who participated in the conquest of Peru and Chile.
2. Alonso de Vilches (c. 1540 - c. 1610), a Spanish colonist and landowner in colonial Peru.
3. Diego de Vilches y Cabrera (1589 - 1663), a Spanish soldier and governor of Chile from 1639 to 1647.
4. Juan de Vilches (c. 1620 - c. 1690), a Spanish priest and writer who authored several religious texts in the 17th century.
5. Francisco Vilches (1775 - 1848), a Spanish military officer and politician who served as a deputy in the Cortes of Cádiz during the Peninsular War.

While the surname Vilches is predominantly found in Spain, particularly in the regions of Andalusia and Castile, it has also spread to other parts of the Spanish-speaking world due to migration and colonization efforts in the Americas.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Vilches

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

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

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

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