2000
#12,865
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,193
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.81
Rare Last name
Villagrana
A Spanish habitational surname referring to someone from any of several places called Villagrana, meaning "scarlet town."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,378 Americans carry the last name Villagrana. That puts it at #10,410 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.99 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 101,467 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Villagrana 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 101,467
Census rank
#10,410
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,946 bearers of the surname Villagrana in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.99 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10410th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Villagrana, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 95.5%. The next largest groups are White (3.4%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Villagrana
The surname Villagrana originates from Spain, tracing its roots back to the medieval era. It is believed to be derived from the Spanish words "villa," meaning town or village, and "grana," referring to the bright crimson dye extracted from the kermes insect. This combination suggests that the name may have been associated with a town or region renowned for its production or trade of this valuable dye.
The earliest known records of the Villagrana name appear in various historical documents from the 13th and 14th centuries, particularly in regions such as Andalusia and Castile. During this period, surnames were often derived from occupations, geographic locations, or distinctive physical characteristics, reflecting the naming conventions of that era.
One notable historical figure bearing the Villagrana surname was Juan de Villagrana, a Spanish conquistador who participated in the conquest of Mexico alongside Hernán Cortés in the 16th century. He played a significant role in the subjugation of the Aztec Empire and was rewarded with land grants in the newly conquered territories.
Another prominent individual was Pedro de Villagrana, a Spanish military officer and explorer who led expeditions into present-day New Mexico and Texas in the late 16th century. His explorations contributed to the expansion of Spanish influence in the region and the establishment of settlements along the Rio Grande.
In the realm of literature, Miguel de Villagrana, a 17th-century Spanish poet and playwright, gained recognition for his contribution to the Golden Age of Spanish literature. His works, including plays and poems, were widely celebrated during his lifetime and provided valuable insights into the cultural and social landscapes of that era.
The Villagrana name also appeared in the historical records of Spain's colonial territories in the Americas. Notably, Francisco de Villagrana was a influential landowner and cattle rancher in the region that is now modern-day Mexico during the 17th century, playing a significant role in the development of the colonial economy.
While the Villagrana surname has its origins in Spain, it has since spread to various parts of the world, particularly Latin American countries with strong Spanish colonial influences. Over the centuries, the name has undergone slight variations in spelling, including Villagrána and Villagran, but its core meaning and association with the Spanish heritage have remained intact.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Villagrana
Among Census respondents with the surname Villagrana, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 95.5%. The next largest groups are White (3.4%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Villagrana 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 Villagrana surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino95.5% · 2,812
- White3.4% · 100
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 13
- Two or more races0.3% · 8
- Black or African American0.2% · 7
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 6
Timeline
Historical Census data for Villagrana
Villagrana 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
#10,258
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,142
+949 bearers (+43.3%)
Per 100,000 1.07
Rank movement Up 2,607 places
2020
#10,410
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,946
-196 bearers (-6.2%)
Per 100,000 0.99
Rank movement Down 152 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #12,865 | 2,193 | 0.81 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,258 | 3,142 | 1.07 | +949 bearers (+43.3%) | Up 2,607 places |
| 2020 | #10,410 | 2,946 | 0.99 | -196 bearers (-6.2%) | Down 152 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 Villagrana 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 | #10,258 | #10,410 | -1.5% |
| Count | 3,142 | 2,946 | -6.2% |
| Per 100K | 1.07 | 0.99 | -7.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Villagrana bearers went from 3,142 to 2,946 (-6.2% change). The surname moved down 152 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,258 to #10,410.
FAQ
Villagrana surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Villagrana?
Name Census estimates that about 3,378 living Americans carry the surname Villagrana. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 101,467 residents.
How common is Villagrana?
Villagrana ranks #10,410 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 2,946 people with the surname Villagrana. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,378), 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 Villagrana.
Has Villagrana become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Villagrana went from 3,142 recorded bearers to 2,946. That is a decrease of 196 (-6.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #10,258 to #10,410.
What does the Census say about the background of Villagrana?
Among Census respondents with the surname Villagrana, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 95.5%. The next largest groups are White (3.4%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.4%). 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 Villagrana in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.5% (2,812 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Villagrana appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (95.5%), White (3.4%), Asian/Pacific Islander (0.4%). 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 Villagrana (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 Villagrana mean?
A Spanish habitational surname referring to someone from any of several places called Villagrana, meaning "scarlet 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 Villagrana (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 are called Villagrana?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how common the surname Villagrana is at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.