2000
#20,284
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,220
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.45
Rare Last name
Vilchis
A Catalan occupational surname referring to a gatherer or seller of twigs, likely derived from the Catalan word "vilches."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,531 Americans carry the last name Vilchis. That puts it at #13,250 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.74 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 135,422 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Vilchis 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
2.5K
1 in 135,422
Census rank
#13,250
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,207 bearers of the surname Vilchis in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.74 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13250th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Vilchis, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 95.2%. The next largest groups are White (3.6%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Vilchis
The surname VILCHIS is of Mexican origin, originating in the central region of the country during the colonial era. It is derived from the Nahuatl word "uilchich," meaning "wild bird" or "songbird." This suggests that the name may have been given to someone who had a connection to birds or perhaps lived in an area where certain birds were abundant.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the VILCHIS surname can be found in the historical documents of the Archivo General de la Nación (National Archives of Mexico) in Mexico City, dating back to the late 16th century. These records mention individuals bearing the VILCHIS surname residing in the areas around present-day Mexico City and the state of Puebla.
During the 17th and 18th centuries, the VILCHIS surname appeared in various parish records and census documents in the central Mexican states of Puebla, Hidalgo, and Tlaxcala. This indicates that the name had become more widespread in these regions, likely due to migration and the establishment of new settlements.
One notable historical figure with the VILCHIS surname was Juan de Vilchis, a Spanish-Mexican landowner and rancher who lived in the late 17th century. He was granted a large hacienda (estate) in the region of Apan, Hidalgo, which remained in the family's possession for several generations.
Another prominent individual was María Josefa Vilchis, a Mexican nun and educator who lived in the 18th century. She was instrumental in establishing one of the first schools for girls in the city of Puebla and was known for her dedication to educating underprivileged children.
In the 19th century, the VILCHIS surname gained wider recognition when Miguel Vilchis, a journalist and political activist, played a significant role in the Mexican War of Reform (1857-1861). He was a vocal supporter of the liberal movement and wrote extensively about the need for democratic reforms in the country.
During the Mexican Revolution (1910-1920), several individuals with the VILCHIS surname were involved in the fighting, including Emilio Vilchis, a soldier who fought alongside Pancho Villa's forces in the northern states of Chihuahua and Durango.
In more recent times, notable figures with the VILCHIS surname include Jesús Vilchis, a Mexican painter and artist who gained recognition for his vibrant depictions of Mexican culture and landscapes in the mid-20th century.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Vilchis
Among Census respondents with the surname Vilchis, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 95.2%. The next largest groups are White (3.6%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Vilchis 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 Vilchis surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino95.2% · 2,102
- White3.6% · 80
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 8
- Two or more races0.3% · 7
- Black or African American0.3% · 6
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.2% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Vilchis
Vilchis 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
#13,221
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,311
+1,091 bearers (+89.4%)
Per 100,000 0.78
Rank movement Up 7,063 places
2020
#13,250
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,207
-104 bearers (-4.5%)
Per 100,000 0.74
Rank movement Down 29 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #20,284 | 1,220 | 0.45 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #13,221 | 2,311 | 0.78 | +1,091 bearers (+89.4%) | Up 7,063 places |
| 2020 | #13,250 | 2,207 | 0.74 | -104 bearers (-4.5%) | Down 29 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 Vilchis 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 | #13,221 | #13,250 | -0.2% |
| Count | 2,311 | 2,207 | -4.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.78 | 0.74 | -5.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Vilchis bearers went from 2,311 to 2,207 (-4.5% change). The surname moved down 29 positions in the national ranking, going from #13,221 to #13,250.
FAQ
Vilchis surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Vilchis?
Name Census estimates that about 2,531 living Americans carry the surname Vilchis. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 135,422 residents.
How common is Vilchis?
Vilchis ranks #13,250 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.74 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 2,207 people with the surname Vilchis. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,531), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.74 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.74 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 Vilchis.
Has Vilchis become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Vilchis went from 2,311 recorded bearers to 2,207. That is a decrease of 104 (-4.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #13,221 to #13,250.
What does the Census say about the background of Vilchis?
Among Census respondents with the surname Vilchis, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 95.2%. The next largest groups are White (3.6%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.4%). 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 Vilchis in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.2% (2,102 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Vilchis appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (95.2%), White (3.6%), American Indian/Alaska Native (0.4%). 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 Vilchis (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 Vilchis mean?
A Catalan occupational surname referring to a gatherer or seller of twigs, likely derived from the Catalan word "vilches." 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 Vilchis (0.74 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 surname Vilchis?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.