2000
#11,667
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,464
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.91
Rare Last name
Villafuerte
A Spanish toponymic surname indicating someone from a place named Villafuerte, meaning "strong town" or "strong villa."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,410 Americans carry the last name Villafuerte. That puts it at #8,254 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.29 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 77,722 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Villafuerte 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
4.4K
1 in 77,722
Census rank
#8,254
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,846 bearers of the surname Villafuerte in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.29 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8254th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Villafuerte, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 82.9%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (11.5%) and White (4.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Villafuerte
The surname Villafuerte is of Spanish origin, originating from the regions of Spain in the medieval period. It is a compound name derived from the Spanish words "villa," meaning a town or village, and "fuerte," meaning strong or fortified. This suggests that the name may have referred to a fortified town or a strong village.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Villafuerte can be found in the "Libro de Repartimiento de Sevilla," a document from the 13th century that recorded the distribution of land and properties among the Spanish conquerors after the reconquest of Seville in 1248. This document mentions individuals with the surname Villafuerte, indicating that the name was already in use during this time.
The name Villafuerte has also been associated with various historical figures throughout the centuries. In the 16th century, there was a notable Spanish explorer named Álvaro de Villafuerte, who participated in the conquest of Central America and served as a lieutenant under the famous conquistador Pedro de Alvarado. Another prominent individual with the surname was Jerónimo de Villafuerte, a Spanish military officer and colonial administrator who served as the Governor of Panama in the early 17th century.
During the 17th century, the name Villafuerte appeared in various records and manuscripts related to the Spanish colonial presence in the Americas. For instance, there are mentions of Diego de Villafuerte, a Spanish colonial official who held positions in New Spain (present-day Mexico) and Peru in the mid-1600s.
In the 18th century, a notable figure named Félix Villafuerte y Alfaro (1690-1772) served as the Governor of Panama from 1736 to 1743. He played a significant role in the defense of the region against pirate attacks and the expansion of Spanish settlements.
Another prominent individual with the surname Villafuerte was José Tomás de Villafuerte (1810-1875), a Mexican military officer and politician who served as the Governor of the Mexican state of Michoacán during the tumultuous period of the Reform War in the 1850s.
These examples illustrate the historical presence and significance of the surname Villafuerte across various regions and time periods, reflecting its Spanish origins and the influence of individuals bearing this name in various spheres, including exploration, colonial administration, and military affairs.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Villafuerte
Among Census respondents with the surname Villafuerte, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 82.9%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (11.5%) and White (4.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Villafuerte 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 Villafuerte surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino82.9% · 3,189
- Asian and Pacific Islander11.5% · 442
- White4.0% · 155
- Two or more races1.1% · 44
- Black or African American0.3% · 13
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Villafuerte
Villafuerte 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
#8,854
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,700
+1,236 bearers (+50.2%)
Per 100,000 1.25
Rank movement Up 2,813 places
2020
#8,254
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,846
+146 bearers (+3.9%)
Per 100,000 1.29
Rank movement Up 600 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #11,667 | 2,464 | 0.91 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,854 | 3,700 | 1.25 | +1,236 bearers (+50.2%) | Up 2,813 places |
| 2020 | #8,254 | 3,846 | 1.29 | +146 bearers (+3.9%) | Up 600 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 Villafuerte 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 | #8,854 | #8,254 | 6.8% |
| Count | 3,700 | 3,846 | 3.9% |
| Per 100K | 1.25 | 1.29 | 2.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Villafuerte bearers went from 3,700 to 3,846 (+3.9% change). The surname moved up 600 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,854 to #8,254.
FAQ
Villafuerte surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Villafuerte?
Name Census estimates that about 4,410 living Americans carry the surname Villafuerte. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 77,722 residents.
How common is Villafuerte?
Villafuerte ranks #8,254 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.29 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 3,846 people with the surname Villafuerte. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,410), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.29 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.29 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 Villafuerte.
Has Villafuerte become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Villafuerte went from 3,700 recorded bearers to 3,846. That is an increase of 146 (+3.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #8,854 to #8,254.
What does the Census say about the background of Villafuerte?
Among Census respondents with the surname Villafuerte, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 82.9%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (11.5%) and White (4.0%). 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 Villafuerte in the 2020 Census, accounting for 82.9% (3,189 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Villafuerte appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (82.9%), Asian/Pacific Islander (11.5%), White (4.0%). 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 Villafuerte (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 Villafuerte mean?
A Spanish toponymic surname indicating someone from a place named Villafuerte, meaning "strong town" or "strong villa." 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 Villafuerte (1.29 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 common is the surname Villafuerte?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the surname Villafuerte at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.