Find out how popular the last name Villanueva is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Villanueva.

Villanueva, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Villanueva surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Villanueva in America

Villanueva is the 539th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Villanueva surname appeared 61,883 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 21 people would have the surname Villanueva.

We can also compare 2010 data for Villanueva to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Villanueva

The surname Villanueva originates from Spain and can be traced back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Spanish words 'villa' meaning 'town' and 'nueva' meaning 'new', suggesting that the name was initially given to someone who lived in a new town or village.

The name first appeared in the regions of Andalusia and Extremadura, where many of the earliest recorded examples can be found. In the 13th century, the name was documented in various records, including the Libro de los Fueros de Cáceres, a collection of laws and privileges granted to the town of Cáceres.

One of the earliest known individuals with the surname Villanueva was Rodrigo Villanueva, a Spanish nobleman who lived in the late 13th century. He was a prominent figure in the court of King Alfonso X of Castile and León.

In the 15th century, the name Villanueva was associated with the town of Villanueva de la Serena in the province of Badajoz, Extremadura. This town was founded in the 13th century and served as an important agricultural and trading center, which may have contributed to the widespread use of the surname in the region.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, several notable individuals bore the surname Villanueva. One of them was Juan de Villanueva, a renowned Spanish architect born in 1739 and known for designing the Prado Museum in Madrid, among other notable buildings.

Another prominent figure was Antonio de Villanueva y Franquesa, a Spanish military engineer and architect born in 1714. He played a significant role in the construction of several fortifications and military buildings in Spain and the Americas.

In the 19th century, the surname Villanueva was carried by Joaquín Villanueva, a Spanish politician and writer born in 1765. He served as a deputy in the Cortes of Cádiz and was a prominent figure during the Spanish War of Independence against Napoleonic France.

Throughout its history, the surname Villanueva has been associated with various place names in Spain, such as Villanueva del Arzobispo, Villanueva de la Reina, and Villanueva de la Serena, reflecting the origins and spread of the name across different regions.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Villanueva

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Villanueva.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Villanueva was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Villanueva has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Villanueva was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Villanueva, please contact us.

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