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

Villarreal, 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 Villarreal surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Villarreal in America

Villarreal is the 547th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Villarreal surname appeared 61,355 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 Villarreal.

We can also compare 2010 data for Villarreal 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 Villarreal

The surname Villarreal originated in Spain during the medieval period. It is a compound name derived from the Spanish words "villa" meaning town or village, and "real" meaning royal or belonging to the king. This suggests that the name was likely given to someone who lived in or was associated with a royal town or village.

The earliest recorded instances of the name Villarreal can be found in various historical documents from the 13th and 14th centuries in the regions of Castile and Aragon in Spain. It is believed that the name may have been used to distinguish individuals from specific towns or villages that were under royal ownership or patronage.

One of the earliest known references to the name Villarreal is in the Libro de Repartimiento, a medieval document that recorded the distribution of land and property in the Kingdom of Valencia after the Reconquista. This document mentions several individuals with the surname Villarreal, indicating that the name was already established in the region by the 13th century.

In the 15th century, a notable figure named Juan de Villarreal served as a military commander and diplomat during the reign of King Ferdinand II of Aragon and Queen Isabella I of Castile. He played a role in the Spanish conquest of Granada and was later appointed as the governor of the Canary Islands.

Another prominent individual with the surname Villarreal was Pedro de Villarreal, a Spanish theologian and philosopher who lived in the 16th century. He was a professor at the University of Salamanca and wrote several works on theology and philosophy.

In the 17th century, a Spanish playwright and poet named Diego de Villarreal y Aguilera gained recognition for his literary works, including plays and poetry collections.

Another notable figure was Francisco de Villarreal, a Spanish explorer and navigator who accompanied Hernán Cortés on his expedition to Mexico in the early 16th century. He played a role in the conquest of the Aztec Empire and later became a prominent figure in the colonization of New Spain.

Throughout the centuries, the Villarreal surname has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including nobility, clergy, scholars, and military personnel, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and accomplishments associated with this historical name.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Villarreal

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

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

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

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