2000
#13,994
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,978
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.73
Rare Last name
Villafana
A Spanish habitational surname referring to someone from a place called Villafaña, likely derived from Villa Hispana meaning "Spanish town."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,398 Americans carry the last name Villafana. That puts it at #10,334 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.99 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 100,869 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Villafana 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
3.4K
1 in 100,869
Census rank
#10,334
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,963 bearers of the surname Villafana in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.99 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10334th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Villafana, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 89.3%. The next largest groups are White (4.6%) and Black (4.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Villafana
The surname Villafana has its origins in Spain, tracing back to the medieval period. It is likely derived from the Spanish words "villa" meaning "town" and "fana," which may have been a reference to a particular region or settlement.
One of the earliest known records of the name Villafana can be found in the "Libro de la Montería" (Book of the Hunt), a 14th-century manuscript commissioned by King Alfonso XI of Castile. This hunting treatise mentions individuals with the surname Villafana, suggesting their involvement in the nobility or royal court during that time.
In the 15th century, the Villafana family held estates and lands in the region of Andalusia, southern Spain. Historical documents reference various members of the family, including Rodrigo de Villafana, who was a prominent figure in the conquest of Granada in the late 15th century.
The surname Villafana has also been linked to the town of Villafáfila in the province of Zamora, located in the northwestern region of Spain. It is possible that the name originated from this specific location, with variations in spelling occurring over time.
Notable individuals with the surname Villafana include:
1. Francisco de Villafana (c. 1510-1580), a Spanish conquistador and explorer who accompanied Hernán Cortés in the conquest of Mexico.
2. Juan de Villafana (c. 1540-1610), a Spanish soldier and author who wrote about his experiences in the Spanish colonization of the Americas.
3. María de Villafana (c. 1570-1640), a Spanish noblewoman and philanthropist known for her support of religious institutions and charitable works.
4. Alonso de Villafana y Salcedo (c. 1620-1690), a Spanish military officer who served as the governor of several provinces in New Spain (present-day Mexico).
5. Pedro de Villafana y Sotomayor (c. 1670-1735), a Spanish nobleman and magistrate who held influential positions in the Spanish colonial administration.
Throughout its history, the surname Villafana has been associated with nobility, military service, and administrative roles in Spain and its colonies. While the exact origins of the name may be subject to debate, it remains a testament to the rich cultural heritage and history of the Hispanic world.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Villafana
Among Census respondents with the surname Villafana, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 89.3%. The next largest groups are White (4.6%) and Black (4.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Villafana 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 Villafana surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino89.3% · 2,647
- White4.6% · 137
- Black or African American4.6% · 136
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 24
- Two or more races0.5% · 15
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Villafana
Villafana 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
#10,653
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,003
+1,025 bearers (+51.8%)
Per 100,000 1.02
Rank movement Up 3,341 places
2020
#10,334
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,963
-40 bearers (-1.3%)
Per 100,000 0.99
Rank movement Up 319 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #13,994 | 1,978 | 0.73 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,653 | 3,003 | 1.02 | +1,025 bearers (+51.8%) | Up 3,341 places |
| 2020 | #10,334 | 2,963 | 0.99 | -40 bearers (-1.3%) | Up 319 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 Villafana 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 | #10,653 | #10,334 | 3.0% |
| Count | 3,003 | 2,963 | -1.3% |
| Per 100K | 1.02 | 0.99 | -2.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Villafana bearers went from 3,003 to 2,963 (-1.3% change). The surname moved up 319 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,653 to #10,334.
FAQ
Villafana surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Villafana?
Name Census estimates that about 3,398 living Americans carry the surname Villafana. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 100,869 residents.
How common is Villafana?
Villafana ranks #10,334 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.99 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 2,963 people with the surname Villafana. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,398), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.99 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.99 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 Villafana.
Has Villafana become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Villafana went from 3,003 recorded bearers to 2,963. That is a decrease of 40 (-1.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #10,653 to #10,334.
What does the Census say about the background of Villafana?
Among Census respondents with the surname Villafana, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 89.3%. The next largest groups are White (4.6%) and Black (4.6%). 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 Villafana in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.3% (2,647 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Villafana appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (89.3%), White (4.6%), Black (4.6%). 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 Villafana (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 Villafana mean?
A Spanish habitational surname referring to someone from a place called Villafaña, likely derived from Villa Hispana meaning "Spanish town." 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 Villafana (0.99 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 Villafana?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.