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

Villafañe, 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 Villafañe surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Villafañe in America

Villafañe is the 12613th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Villafañe surname appeared 2,454 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Villafañe.

We can also compare 2010 data for Villafañe 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 Villafañe

The surname Villafane has its origins in Spain, tracing back to the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Spanish words "villa," meaning town or village, and "fane," which is a variant of the word "fanum," meaning a temple or sanctuary.

This surname likely originated in regions where there were prominent villas or towns with significant religious structures or temples. The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in historical documents from the 13th and 14th centuries in various regions of Spain, such as Castile and Aragon.

One of the earliest known individuals with the surname Villafane was Pedro de Villafane, a Spanish nobleman and military commander who fought in the Reconquista, the campaign to reclaim the Iberian Peninsula from the Moors in the late 15th century. He was renowned for his bravery and leadership during the conquest of Granada in 1492.

Another notable figure was Juan de Villafane, a Spanish explorer and conquistador who accompanied Hernán Cortés on his expedition to Mexico in the early 16th century. He played a significant role in the conquest of the Aztec Empire and was later granted land and titles in New Spain (modern-day Mexico) for his services.

In the 17th century, a branch of the Villafane family settled in the Americas, particularly in what is now Colombia and Venezuela. One prominent member was Diego de Villafane y Salazar, a Spanish-born military leader and colonial administrator who served as the governor of the province of Cumaná in present-day Venezuela from 1621 to 1628.

During the 18th century, the Villafane surname gained prominence in the arts and literature. One such figure was Manuel de Villafane, a Spanish playwright and poet born in Seville in 1709. His works, which explored themes of love, honor, and social commentary, were widely acclaimed and performed throughout Spain during his lifetime.

In the 19th century, the Villafane name was associated with the political and intellectual spheres. Mariano Villafane, born in Buenos Aires in 1821, was a renowned Argentine lawyer, writer, and statesman who served as a diplomat and played a pivotal role in shaping the country's legal and political landscape.

As the surname spread across different regions and countries over the centuries, various spellings and variations emerged, such as Villafañe, Villafañez, and Villafaña. However, the core meaning and origin of the name remained rooted in the concept of a villa or town with a significant religious or cultural presence.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Villafañe

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

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

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

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