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

Villafranco, 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 Villafranco surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Villafranco in America

Villafranco is the 30420th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Villafranco surname appeared 768 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 Villafranco.

We can also compare 2010 data for Villafranco 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 Villafranco

The surname Villafranco has its origins in Italy, emerging during the medieval period. It is derived from the Italian phrase "villa franca," which translates to "free village" or "village exempt from taxation." This name likely originated as a descriptor for individuals who resided in such privileged settlements.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Cavensis, a collection of medieval documents from the Campania region of Italy, dating back to the 11th century. The name appears as "Villafranca," referring to a family from the town of the same name located near Salerno.

In the 13th century, a notable figure bearing the name Villafranco was Giacomo Villafranco, a prominent jurist and legal scholar from Bologna. He is credited with contributing to the development of Roman law during the Middle Ages.

During the Renaissance period, the name gained further recognition with the birth of Bartolomeo Villafranco in 1467, a renowned painter from Verona. His works, which included religious murals and altarpieces, can still be found in various churches and museums throughout Italy.

In the 16th century, the Villafranco family played a significant role in the political landscape of Naples. Ettore Villafranco, born in 1512, served as a military commander and diplomat under the Spanish rule of the Kingdom of Naples.

Another notable figure was Girolamo Villafranco, a 17th-century architect from Sicily. He was responsible for the design and construction of several baroque-style churches and palaces, including the Chiesa di San Domenico in Palermo.

As the name spread throughout Italy and beyond, variations in spelling emerged, such as Villafranca, Villefranche, and Villefranca. These variations often reflected regional dialects or the influence of other languages, particularly Spanish and French, due to their territorial presence in parts of Italy throughout history.

It is worth noting that the surname Villafranco has also been associated with certain place names in Italy, such as Villafranca di Verona and Villafranca Piemonte, further reinforcing its connection to the concept of "free villages" or settlements with special privileges.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Villafranco

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

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

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

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