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

Villar, 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 Villar surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Villar in America

Villar is the 6186th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Villar surname appeared 5,530 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Villar.

We can also compare 2010 data for Villar 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 Villar

The surname Villar has its origins in Spain, where it first emerged during the Middle Ages, around the 11th or 12th century. It is derived from the Latin word "villa," which means a country house or small rural estate. The name is thought to have referred to someone who lived in or worked on such an estate.

In Spain, the name was particularly prevalent in the regions of Aragon, Catalonia, and Valencia. Some of the earliest recorded instances of the name appear in medieval documents and records from these areas. For example, a person named Arnaldus de Villar is mentioned in a document from Aragon dated 1182.

The name Villar is also found in ancient place names, such as Villa Real (Royal Villa) and Villa Nueva (New Villa), which further reinforces its connection to rural settlements or estates. Over time, the name evolved into various spellings, such as Villar, Villar-Palasí, and Villarreal.

One notable historical figure bearing this surname was Pedro Villar, a Spanish conquistador who participated in the conquest of Peru in the 16th century. Born in Extremadura around 1500, he joined Francisco Pizarro's expedition to the Inca Empire and played a role in the capture of the Incan leader Atahualpa.

Another prominent individual was Juan Villar y Miñana, a Spanish painter and engraver who lived in the 17th century (1612-1670). He is particularly known for his religious works and portraits, which can be found in various churches and museums in Spain.

In the 19th century, José Villar y Amigo (1830-1903) was a notable Spanish politician and lawyer who served as the Minister of Justice and later as the President of the Senate.

Moving into the 20th century, Manuel Villar Arregui (1898-1977) was a prominent Spanish architect, best known for his work on the reconstruction of the city of Santander after it was heavily damaged during the Spanish Civil War.

Finally, one cannot overlook the legacy of Raimundo Villar Buceta (1924-2005), a renowned Spanish sculptor and painter whose works have been exhibited in galleries and museums around the world. He was particularly known for his abstract and cubist sculptures, which often explored the human form and emotions.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Villar

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

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 Villar 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 Villar 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 Villar was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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