2000
#15,790
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,694
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.63
Rare Last name
Villasana
A locational surname referring to someone from any of the various places named Villasana in Spain.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,768 Americans carry the last name Villasana. That puts it at #12,301 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.81 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 123,827 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Villasana 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
2.8K
1 in 123,827
Census rank
#12,301
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,414 bearers of the surname Villasana in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.81 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 12301st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Villasana, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 92.7%. The next largest groups are White (6.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Villasana
The surname Villasana has its origins in Spain, specifically in the Castilian region. It dates back to the medieval period, around the 12th to 13th centuries. The name is derived from a combination of the Spanish words "villa," meaning a town or village, and "sana," which can be translated as healthy or wholesome.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Villasana can be found in the 14th-century records of the Kingdom of Castile. It is believed that the name was initially associated with individuals who hailed from or had connections to a particular town or village known for its healthful or prosperous conditions.
During the 15th and 16th centuries, the Villasana name appeared in various historical documents related to the Spanish conquest and settlement of the Americas. Alonso de Villasana, born in 1492, was one of the early Spanish explorers who accompanied Hernán Cortés on his expedition to Mexico in the early 16th century.
Another notable bearer of the Villasana surname was Jerónimo de Villasana, a Spanish soldier and administrator who lived in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. He served as a military commander in the Philippines and was appointed as the interim governor of the Spanish East Indies in 1608.
In the 18th century, the Villasana family played a role in the Spanish colonization of California. Juan Bautista de Anza Villasana, born in 1736, was a Spanish military officer and explorer who led expeditions to establish settlements in present-day California and helped establish the presidio (fort) and pueblo (town) of San Francisco.
During the 19th century, the Villasana name gained prominence in various Latin American countries, particularly in Mexico. One notable figure was Manuel Villasana, a Mexican military leader and politician who fought in the Mexican-American War and later served as the governor of the state of Coahuila from 1857 to 1861.
Throughout its history, the Villasana surname has been associated with individuals from diverse backgrounds, including military figures, administrators, and political leaders. While its origins can be traced back to medieval Spain, the name has since spread across various regions, reflecting the influence of Spanish colonization and migration patterns.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Villasana
Among Census respondents with the surname Villasana, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 92.7%. The next largest groups are White (6.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Villasana 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 Villasana surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino92.7% · 2,238
- White6.0% · 146
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 13
- Black or African American0.3% · 7
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 5
- Two or more races0.2% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Villasana
Villasana appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#12,676
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,438
+744 bearers (+43.9%)
Per 100,000 0.83
Rank movement Up 3,114 places
2020
#12,301
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,414
-24 bearers (-1.0%)
Per 100,000 0.81
Rank movement Up 375 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #15,790 | 1,694 | 0.63 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #12,676 | 2,438 | 0.83 | +744 bearers (+43.9%) | Up 3,114 places |
| 2020 | #12,301 | 2,414 | 0.81 | -24 bearers (-1.0%) | Up 375 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 Villasana 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 | #12,676 | #12,301 | 3.0% |
| Count | 2,438 | 2,414 | -1.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.83 | 0.81 | -2.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Villasana bearers went from 2,438 to 2,414 (-1.0% change). The surname moved up 375 positions in the national ranking, going from #12,676 to #12,301.
FAQ
Villasana surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Villasana?
Name Census estimates that about 2,768 living Americans carry the surname Villasana. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 123,827 residents.
How common is Villasana?
Villasana ranks #12,301 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.81 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,414 people with the surname Villasana. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,768), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.81 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.81 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Villasana.
Has Villasana become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Villasana went from 2,438 recorded bearers to 2,414. That is a decrease of 24 (-1.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #12,676 to #12,301.
What does the Census say about the background of Villasana?
Among Census respondents with the surname Villasana, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 92.7%. The next largest groups are White (6.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.5%). 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 Villasana in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.7% (2,238 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Villasana appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (92.7%), White (6.0%), Asian/Pacific Islander (0.5%). 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 Villasana (2000, 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 Villasana mean?
A locational surname referring to someone from any of the various places named Villasana in Spain. 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 Villasana (0.81 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 common is the surname Villasana?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the last name Villasana on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.