2010
#142,108
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Villarrial
A Spanish surname meaning "small village" or "little town."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 132 Americans carry the last name Villarrial. That puts it at #145,757 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,596,624 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Villarrial 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
132
1 in 2,596,624
Census rank
#145,757
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
115
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 115 bearers of the surname Villarrial in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 145757th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Villarrial, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 75.7%. The next largest groups are White (20.0%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Villarrial
The surname Villarrial is of Spanish origin, deriving from the words "villa" meaning "town" and "real" meaning "royal." This suggests that the name may have originated from a town or place that had some connection to royalty or a monarch.
The earliest recorded instances of the Villarrial surname can be traced back to the late 15th century in the regions of Castile and Aragon, which were part of the Kingdom of Spain at the time. It is possible that the name was initially bestowed upon individuals who resided in or held a position of authority within a particular villa or town under the jurisdiction of the Spanish Crown.
One notable historical figure bearing the name Villarrial was Diego de Villarrial, a Spanish conquistador born around 1480. He participated in various expeditions and conquests in the Americas during the early 16th century, including the conquest of Mexico alongside Hernán Cortés.
Another individual of significance was Mariana de Villarrial, a Spanish nun and writer who lived in the 17th century. She authored several religious works and was known for her pious devotion and literary contributions.
In the 18th century, Pedro Villarrial y Vázquez served as a military officer and governor of various provinces in New Spain (present-day Mexico and parts of the United States). His tenure as governor coincided with the Spanish colonial period in the Americas.
During the 19th century, Manuel Villarrial was a prominent landowner and rancher in the Mexican state of Coahuila. He played a role in the region's agricultural and economic development during that era.
Additionally, the Villarrial surname has been associated with the Spanish municipality of Villarreal, located in the province of Castellón, Valencia. This place name, which translates to "royal town," may have contributed to the origin and spread of the surname in that region.
It is worth noting that variations in the spelling of the surname, such as Villarreal or Villareal, may exist due to regional differences or historical transcription practices. However, the core meaning and etymology of the name remain consistent across these variations.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Villarrial
Among Census respondents with the surname Villarrial, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 75.7%. The next largest groups are White (20.0%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Villarrial 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 Villarrial surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino75.7% · 87
- White20.0% · 23
- Two or more races2.6% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.7% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Villarrial
Villarrial 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
#145,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
-2 bearers (-1.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 3,649 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #142,108 | 117 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #145,757 | 115 | 0.04 | -2 bearers (-1.7%) | Down 3,649 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 Villarrial 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 | #142,108 | #145,757 | -2.6% |
| Count | 117 | 115 | -1.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -3.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Villarrial bearers went from 117 to 115 (-1.7% change). The surname moved down 3,649 positions in the national ranking, going from #142,108 to #145,757.
FAQ
Villarrial surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Villarrial?
Name Census estimates that about 132 living Americans carry the surname Villarrial. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,596,624 residents.
How common is Villarrial?
Villarrial ranks #145,757 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 115 people with the surname Villarrial. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (132), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Villarrial.
Has Villarrial become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Villarrial went from 117 recorded bearers to 115. That is a decrease of 2 (-1.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #142,108 to #145,757.
What does the Census say about the background of Villarrial?
Among Census respondents with the surname Villarrial, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 75.7%. The next largest groups are White (20.0%) and Two or More Races (2.6%). 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 Villarrial in the 2020 Census, accounting for 75.7% (87 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Villarrial appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (75.7%), White (20.0%), Two or More Races (2.6%). 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 Villarrial (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 Villarrial mean?
A Spanish surname meaning "small village" or "little town." 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 Villarrial (0.04 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 Americans have the surname Villarrial?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.