2000
#21,230
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,152
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.43
Rare Last name
Vilchez
A Spanish surname derived from the Valencian toponym Vila-Xera.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,300 Americans carry the last name Vilchez. That puts it at #14,345 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.67 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 149,024 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Vilchez 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
2.3K
1 in 149,024
Census rank
#14,345
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,006 bearers of the surname Vilchez in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.67 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14345th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Vilchez, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 94.2%. The next largest groups are White (4.6%) and Black (0.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Vilchez
The surname Vilchez originated in Spain, specifically in the region of Andalusia during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Arabic word "wilch," which means "district" or "area." This suggests that the name was likely associated with a particular district or region within Andalusia.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Vilchez can be traced back to the 13th century, when it appeared in various documents and records from the Kingdom of Castile. One notable example is the Libro de Repartimiento de Sevilla, a manuscript dating back to 1253, which documented the distribution of lands and properties in the city of Seville after its conquest by the Christian forces.
During the Reconquista, the period when Christian kingdoms gradually regained control of the Iberian Peninsula from the Moors, many Andalusian families adopted surnames based on their place of origin or residence. The name Vilchez may have been adopted by individuals or families who lived in a specific district or area known as "Wilch" or a similar variation.
Historical records also indicate that the name Vilchez was associated with notable individuals throughout Spanish history. One such figure was Pedro Vilchez, a prominent military commander who fought alongside King Alfonso XI of Castile during the 14th century. Another notable bearer of the name was Juan Vilchez, a celebrated poet and writer who lived in the 16th century and was known for his contributions to Spanish literature.
In the 17th century, the name Vilchez appeared in various manuscripts and documents from the Spanish colonial era, suggesting that individuals bearing this surname may have been among the early settlers in the Americas. One such individual was Diego Vilchez, a Spanish explorer and conquistador who participated in the conquest of Peru in the 1530s.
Other notable individuals with the surname Vilchez include Francisco Vilchez, a prominent architect from the 18th century who contributed to the design of several notable buildings in Seville, and Manuel Vilchez, a renowned painter from the 19th century whose works were celebrated for their depictions of Andalusian landscapes and traditions.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Vilchez
Among Census respondents with the surname Vilchez, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 94.2%. The next largest groups are White (4.6%) and Black (0.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Vilchez 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 Vilchez surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino94.2% · 1,890
- White4.6% · 93
- Black or African American0.6% · 12
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.2% · 5
- Two or more races0.2% · 4
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Vilchez
Vilchez 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
#15,818
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,841
+689 bearers (+59.8%)
Per 100,000 0.62
Rank movement Up 5,412 places
2020
#14,345
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,006
+165 bearers (+9.0%)
Per 100,000 0.67
Rank movement Up 1,473 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #21,230 | 1,152 | 0.43 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #15,818 | 1,841 | 0.62 | +689 bearers (+59.8%) | Up 5,412 places |
| 2020 | #14,345 | 2,006 | 0.67 | +165 bearers (+9.0%) | Up 1,473 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 Vilchez 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 | #15,818 | #14,345 | 9.3% |
| Count | 1,841 | 2,006 | 9.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.62 | 0.67 | 8.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Vilchez bearers went from 1,841 to 2,006 (+9.0% change). The surname moved up 1,473 positions in the national ranking, going from #15,818 to #14,345.
FAQ
Vilchez surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Vilchez?
Name Census estimates that about 2,300 living Americans carry the surname Vilchez. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 149,024 residents.
How common is Vilchez?
Vilchez ranks #14,345 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.67 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,006 people with the surname Vilchez. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,300), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.67 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.67 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Vilchez.
Has Vilchez become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Vilchez went from 1,841 recorded bearers to 2,006. That is an increase of 165 (+9.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #15,818 to #14,345.
What does the Census say about the background of Vilchez?
Among Census respondents with the surname Vilchez, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 94.2%. The next largest groups are White (4.6%) and Black (0.6%). 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 Vilchez in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.2% (1,890 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Vilchez appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (94.2%), White (4.6%), Black (0.6%). 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 Vilchez (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 Vilchez mean?
A Spanish surname derived from the Valencian toponym Vila-Xera. 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 Vilchez (0.67 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 Vilchez?
Find out how common the surname Vilchez is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.