2000
#71,372
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 255
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.09
Very Rare Last name
Villaman
A surname derived from a place name or referring to someone from a small village.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 519 Americans carry the last name Villaman. That puts it at #49,989 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.15 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 660,413 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Villaman 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
519
1 in 660,413
Census rank
#49,989
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
453
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 453 bearers of the surname Villaman in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.15 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 49989th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Villaman, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 94.5%. The next largest groups are White (4.0%) and Black (0.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Villaman
The surname Villaman is believed to have originated in the Basque region of Spain and France, with roots dating back to the medieval era. It is derived from the Basque words "villa," meaning "town" or "village," and "man," suggesting a person from a specific town or settlement.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Cartulario de San Millán de la Cogolla, a medieval manuscript from the 10th century, where a certain "Villamano de Nájera" is mentioned. This suggests that the name may have originated in the town of Nájera, located in the present-day province of La Rioja, Spain.
Another early reference to the name appears in the Becerro de las Behetrías de Castilla, a 14th-century document that recorded details about towns and villages in the Kingdom of Castile. Here, the name "Villaman" is listed as a resident of the town of Villanueva de Cameros, in the province of La Rioja.
In the 15th century, there is a record of a nobleman named Juan Villaman, who was a member of the court of King Juan II of Castile (1405-1454). This suggests that the name had gained some prominence and social status by that time.
During the 16th century, a notable figure with the surname Villaman was Pedro Villaman (c. 1520-1580), a Spanish soldier and explorer who participated in the conquest of Peru alongside Francisco Pizarro. He is known for his involvement in the Battle of Cajamarca and the subsequent capture of the Inca emperor Atahualpa.
Another individual of note was Jerónimo Villaman (1566-1635), a Spanish painter from the Renaissance period who worked in the Mannerist style. Some of his works can be found in churches and museums in Spain, particularly in the regions of Castile and León.
In the 18th century, a prominent figure with the surname Villaman was José Villaman (1738-1812), a Spanish military officer who served in the Spanish colonial armies in South America. He played a role in the defense of Buenos Aires during the British invasions of the River Plate in 1806-1807.
These are just a few examples of individuals with the surname Villaman who have left their mark throughout history. While the name may have evolved and spread to other parts of the world over time, its origins can be traced back to the Basque region of Spain and France during the medieval period.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Villaman
Among Census respondents with the surname Villaman, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 94.5%. The next largest groups are White (4.0%) and Black (0.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Villaman 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 Villaman surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino94.5% · 428
- White4.0% · 18
- Black or African American0.4% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 2
- Two or more races0.4% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.2% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Villaman
Villaman 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
#53,072
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 390
+135 bearers (+52.9%)
Per 100,000 0.13
Rank movement Up 18,300 places
2020
#49,989
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 453
+63 bearers (+16.2%)
Per 100,000 0.15
Rank movement Up 3,083 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #71,372 | 255 | 0.09 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #53,072 | 390 | 0.13 | +135 bearers (+52.9%) | Up 18,300 places |
| 2020 | #49,989 | 453 | 0.15 | +63 bearers (+16.2%) | Up 3,083 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 Villaman 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 | #53,072 | #49,989 | 5.8% |
| Count | 390 | 453 | 16.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.13 | 0.15 | 16.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Villaman bearers went from 390 to 453 (+16.2% change). The surname moved up 3,083 positions in the national ranking, going from #53,072 to #49,989.
FAQ
Villaman surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Villaman?
Name Census estimates that about 519 living Americans carry the surname Villaman. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 660,413 residents.
How common is Villaman?
Villaman ranks #49,989 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.15 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 453 people with the surname Villaman. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (519), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.15 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.15 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Villaman.
Has Villaman become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Villaman went from 390 recorded bearers to 453. That is an increase of 63 (+16.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #53,072 to #49,989.
What does the Census say about the background of Villaman?
Among Census respondents with the surname Villaman, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 94.5%. The next largest groups are White (4.0%) and Black (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 Villaman in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.5% (428 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Villaman appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (94.5%), White (4.0%), Black (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 Villaman (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 Villaman mean?
A surname derived from a place name or referring to someone from a small village. 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 Villaman (0.15 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 share the surname Villaman?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.