2000
#13,902
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,992
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.74
Rare Last name
Villano
An Italian surname meaning "villager" or "peasant" from Latin origins.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,581 Americans carry the last name Villano. That puts it at #13,035 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.75 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 132,799 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Villano 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
2.6K
1 in 132,799
Census rank
#13,035
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,251 bearers of the surname Villano in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.75 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13035th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Villano, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (11.3%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (6.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Villano
The surname Villano originated in Italy during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Italian word "villano," which means "peasant" or "villager." This suggests that the name was likely given to someone who lived in a rural area or worked as a farmer.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Villano can be found in the Codice Diplomatico Longobardo, a collection of documents from the Lombard period in Italy, dating back to the 7th century. The name appears in a document from the year 742 CE, referring to a landowner named Villano di Montefeltro.
In the 11th century, a nobleman named Villano Villani is mentioned in the Annales Camaldulenses, a historical chronicle written by the Benedictine monks of the Camaldolese order. Villano Villani was a prominent figure in Florence and was involved in the construction of several churches and buildings in the city.
During the 13th century, the name Villano was associated with the Villani family, a prominent merchant family in Florence. Giovanni Villani (c. 1275-1348) was a famous Italian chronicler and author of the Nuova Cronica, a detailed history of Florence and other Italian cities.
Another notable bearer of the surname Villano was Matteo Villani (1283-1363), the younger brother of Giovanni Villani. Matteo was also a chronicler and continued his brother's work on the Nuova Cronica after Giovanni's death.
In the 15th century, the name Villano appears in the records of the Republic of Venice. A merchant named Andrea Villano is mentioned in a document from 1456, indicating his involvement in trade with the Ottoman Empire.
Over time, the surname Villano has undergone various spelling variations, such as Villani, Villano, and Villana. These variations can be found in historical records and documents from different regions of Italy.
It is worth noting that the surname Villano may have also been derived from place names or geographic locations, as was common practice during the Middle Ages. However, there is no definitive evidence to support this theory in the case of Villano.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Villano
Among Census respondents with the surname Villano, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (11.3%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (6.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Villano 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 Villano surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White78.5% · 1,767
- Hispanic or Latino11.3% · 255
- Asian and Pacific Islander6.8% · 153
- Two or more races2.9% · 65
- Black or African American0.3% · 7
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Villano
Villano 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
#15,456
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,895
-97 bearers (-4.9%)
Per 100,000 0.64
Rank movement Down 1,554 places
2020
#13,035
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,251
+356 bearers (+18.8%)
Per 100,000 0.75
Rank movement Up 2,421 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #13,902 | 1,992 | 0.74 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #15,456 | 1,895 | 0.64 | -97 bearers (-4.9%) | Down 1,554 places |
| 2020 | #13,035 | 2,251 | 0.75 | +356 bearers (+18.8%) | Up 2,421 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 Villano 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 | #15,456 | #13,035 | 15.7% |
| Count | 1,895 | 2,251 | 18.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.64 | 0.75 | 17.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Villano bearers went from 1,895 to 2,251 (+18.8% change). The surname moved up 2,421 positions in the national ranking, going from #15,456 to #13,035.
FAQ
Villano surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Villano?
Name Census estimates that about 2,581 living Americans carry the surname Villano. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 132,799 residents.
How common is Villano?
Villano ranks #13,035 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.75 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 2,251 people with the surname Villano. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,581), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.75 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.75 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 Villano.
Has Villano become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Villano went from 1,895 recorded bearers to 2,251. That is an increase of 356 (+18.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #15,456 to #13,035.
What does the Census say about the background of Villano?
Among Census respondents with the surname Villano, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (11.3%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Villano in the 2020 Census, accounting for 78.5% (1,767 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Villano appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (78.5%), Hispanic (11.3%), Asian/Pacific Islander (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 Villano (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 Villano mean?
An Italian surname meaning "villager" or "peasant" from Latin origins. 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 Villano (0.75 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 Villano?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the last name Villano on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.