2000
#20,497
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,203
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.45
Rare Last name
Villamil
A Spanish surname originating from a village or town named "Villa Mil".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,118 Americans carry the last name Villamil. That puts it at #15,296 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.62 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 161,829 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Villamil 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
2.1K
1 in 161,829
Census rank
#15,296
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,847 bearers of the surname Villamil in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.62 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 15296th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Villamil, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 79.6%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (11.4%) and White (6.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Villamil
The surname Villamil has its origins in Spain, specifically in the region of Galicia. It is believed to have emerged during the Middle Ages, likely between the 11th and 13th centuries. The name is derived from a combination of the Spanish words "villa," meaning "town" or "village," and "mil," which is a variant of the word "milla" (mile).
One of the earliest known references to the surname Villamil can be found in the Tumbo Viejo de Castilla, an ancient manuscript dating back to the 13th century. This document contains records of various noble families and landowners in the region, including individuals bearing the name Villamil.
In the 14th century, a prominent figure named Rodrigo Álvarez de Villamil was recorded as a prominent nobleman and military commander during the reign of King Alfonso XI of Castile. He played a significant role in the conquest of Gibraltar in 1349.
During the 15th century, the Villamil family became established in the town of Villamil de Campos, located in the province of Valladolid, Castile and León. This place likely contributed to the consolidation of the surname within the region.
In the 16th century, Juan de Villamil, a Spanish explorer and navigator, was part of the expedition led by Juan de Grijalva that explored the coasts of Mexico in 1518. He is credited with being one of the first Europeans to set foot on Mexican soil.
Another notable figure was Antonio Villamil y Correa, a Spanish military officer and colonial administrator who served as the Governor of Chile from 1737 to 1740. He played a pivotal role in suppressing the Mapuche uprising during his tenure.
In the 19th century, Alejandro Villamil, a Venezuelan naval officer and politician, was a prominent figure in the country's struggle for independence from Spain. He served as the Minister of War and Navy under the government of Simón Bolívar.
Lastly, Jacinto Villamil, a Spanish painter born in 1834, was a renowned artist known for his landscapes and maritime scenes. His works are part of the collections of several prestigious museums, including the Prado Museum in Madrid.
While the surname Villamil has its roots in Spain, it has since spread to various parts of the world, particularly to Latin American countries, due to Spanish colonization and migration. However, its origins can be traced back to the medieval era in the Iberian Peninsula.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Villamil
Among Census respondents with the surname Villamil, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 79.6%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (11.4%) and White (6.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Villamil 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 Villamil surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino79.6% · 1,470
- Asian and Pacific Islander11.4% · 210
- White6.8% · 126
- Two or more races1.6% · 30
- Black or African American0.4% · 8
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Villamil
Villamil 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
#16,958
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,676
+473 bearers (+39.3%)
Per 100,000 0.57
Rank movement Up 3,539 places
2020
#15,296
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,847
+171 bearers (+10.2%)
Per 100,000 0.62
Rank movement Up 1,662 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #20,497 | 1,203 | 0.45 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #16,958 | 1,676 | 0.57 | +473 bearers (+39.3%) | Up 3,539 places |
| 2020 | #15,296 | 1,847 | 0.62 | +171 bearers (+10.2%) | Up 1,662 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 Villamil 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 | #16,958 | #15,296 | 9.8% |
| Count | 1,676 | 1,847 | 10.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.57 | 0.62 | 8.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Villamil bearers went from 1,676 to 1,847 (+10.2% change). The surname moved up 1,662 positions in the national ranking, going from #16,958 to #15,296.
FAQ
Villamil surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Villamil?
Name Census estimates that about 2,118 living Americans carry the surname Villamil. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 161,829 residents.
How common is Villamil?
Villamil ranks #15,296 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.62 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 1,847 people with the surname Villamil. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,118), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.62 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.62 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 Villamil.
Has Villamil become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Villamil went from 1,676 recorded bearers to 1,847. That is an increase of 171 (+10.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #16,958 to #15,296.
What does the Census say about the background of Villamil?
Among Census respondents with the surname Villamil, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 79.6%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (11.4%) and White (6.8%). 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 Villamil in the 2020 Census, accounting for 79.6% (1,470 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Villamil appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (79.6%), Asian/Pacific Islander (11.4%), White (6.8%). 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 Villamil (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 Villamil mean?
A Spanish surname originating from a village or town named "Villa Mil". 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 Villamil (0.62 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 have the surname Villamil?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.