2010
#137,327
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 122
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Villarraga
A surname of Spanish origin, possibly from a place name, village, or estate.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 161 Americans carry the last name Villarraga. That puts it at #127,742 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.05 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,128,909 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Villarraga 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
161
1 in 2,128,909
Census rank
#127,742
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
140
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 140 bearers of the surname Villarraga in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.05 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 127742nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Villarraga, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 90.0%. The next largest groups are White (7.1%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Villarraga
The surname Villarraga has its origins in Spain, emerging during the medieval period. It is a locational name derived from a place called Villarreal, a municipality in the province of Castellón, Valencia. The name Villarreal itself is a combination of the Spanish words "villa," meaning town or village, and "real," meaning royal, suggesting a connection to a royal town or village.
During the Middle Ages, many Spanish surnames were formed based on the places where families originated or resided. The earliest recorded instances of the surname Villarraga date back to the 13th century, appearing in ancient records and manuscripts from the region of Valencia.
One notable figure bearing the surname Villarraga was Diego de Villarraga, a Spanish conquistador and explorer who participated in the conquest of Mexico alongside Hernán Cortés in the early 16th century. He played a crucial role in the subjugation of the Aztec Empire and the establishment of Spanish rule in the region.
Another prominent individual with the surname Villarraga was María Villarraga de Salazar, a Spanish noblewoman who lived in the 17th century. She was known for her philanthropic efforts and contributions to the arts and literature of her time.
In the 18th century, Juan Villarraga y Cárdenas, a Spanish military officer and colonial administrator, served as the governor of the province of Popayán in present-day Colombia. His tenure was marked by significant infrastructure developments and efforts to improve the lives of the local indigenous populations.
Moving into the 19th century, José María Villarraga was a Venezuelan writer and poet who made significant contributions to the literary landscape of his country. His works often explored themes of patriotism, national identity, and the struggles for independence from Spanish colonial rule.
Finally, in the 20th century, Lucía Villarraga was a renowned Colombian artist and painter whose works were celebrated for their vibrant colors and depictions of everyday life in Colombia. Her paintings are considered part of the country's cultural heritage and can be found in many prestigious art collections around the world.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Villarraga
Among Census respondents with the surname Villarraga, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 90.0%. The next largest groups are White (7.1%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Villarraga 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 Villarraga surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino90.0% · 126
- White7.1% · 10
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.1% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Villarraga
Villarraga appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#127,742
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 140
+18 bearers (+14.8%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Up 9,585 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #137,327 | 122 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #127,742 | 140 | 0.05 | +18 bearers (+14.8%) | Up 9,585 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 Villarraga 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 | #137,327 | #127,742 | 7.0% |
| Count | 122 | 140 | 14.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.05 | 17.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Villarraga bearers went from 122 to 140 (+14.8% change). The surname moved up 9,585 positions in the national ranking, going from #137,327 to #127,742.
FAQ
Villarraga surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Villarraga?
Name Census estimates that about 161 living Americans carry the surname Villarraga. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,128,909 residents.
How common is Villarraga?
Villarraga ranks #127,742 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.05 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 140 people with the surname Villarraga. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (161), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.05 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.05 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 Villarraga.
Has Villarraga become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Villarraga went from 122 recorded bearers to 140. That is an increase of 18 (+14.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #137,327 to #127,742.
What does the Census say about the background of Villarraga?
Among Census respondents with the surname Villarraga, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 90.0%. The next largest groups are White (7.1%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.1%). 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 Villarraga in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.0% (126 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Villarraga appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (90.0%), White (7.1%), Asian/Pacific Islander (2.1%). 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 Villarraga (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 Villarraga mean?
A surname of Spanish origin, possibly from a place name, village, or estate. 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 Villarraga (0.05 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 Villarraga?
See how common the surname Villarraga is on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.