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

Villafranca, 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 Villafranca surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Villafranca in America

Villafranca is the 21184th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Villafranca surname appeared 1,239 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 Villafranca.

We can also compare 2010 data for Villafranca 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 Villafranca

The surname Villafranca originates from Spain and can be traced back to the medieval period. It is a toponymic name derived from the Spanish words "villa" meaning town or village, and "franca" meaning free or exempt. The name likely referred to someone who lived in a town or village that had been granted certain privileges or exemptions.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname Villafranca can be found in medieval Spanish documents and records from the 12th and 13th centuries. The name was particularly prevalent in the regions of Castile and Aragon, where it was associated with various noble and prominent families.

One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Rodrigo de Villafranca, a Spanish nobleman and military leader who lived during the 13th century. He was involved in the Reconquista, the long-lasting campaign to retake the Iberian Peninsula from the Moors.

Another notable figure with the surname Villafranca was Pedro de Villafranca, a Spanish navigator and explorer who accompanied Christopher Columbus on his second voyage to the Americas in 1493. Pedro de Villafranca played a role in the exploration and settlement of the Caribbean islands.

In the 16th century, a branch of the Villafranca family settled in the Kingdom of Naples, which was part of the Spanish Empire at the time. One prominent member of this branch was Juan de Villafranca (c. 1510 - 1585), who served as a military commander and governor in various regions of southern Italy.

During the 17th century, the surname Villafranca was also found in Spain's American colonies. Juan de Villafranca (1620 - 1692) was a Spanish colonial administrator and governor of the province of Florida, serving from 1675 to 1677.

Another notable bearer of the name was Francisco de Villafranca (1680 - 1745), a Spanish architect and engineer who worked on several important construction projects in Mexico City and other parts of New Spain (now Mexico).

The surname Villafranca has maintained its presence in various Spanish-speaking countries over the centuries, with notable bearers continuing to contribute to various fields, including politics, literature, and the arts.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Villafranca

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

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

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

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