2000
#3,214
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,190
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.78
Uncommon Last name
Villasenor
A Spanish habitational surname indicating a person from any of the various places named Villaseñor, meaning "lord's village."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 15,232 Americans carry the last name Villasenor. That puts it at #2,649 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 4.44 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 22,502 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Villasenor 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
15K
1 in 22,502
Census rank
#2,649
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
4.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
13K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 13,283 bearers of the surname Villasenor in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 4.44 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2649th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Villasenor, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 92.8%. The next largest groups are White (4.3%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Villasenor
The surname Villasenor has its origins in Spain, dating back to the medieval period. It is a combination of two Spanish words: "villa" meaning town or village, and "señor" which means lord or master. This suggests that the name was originally given to someone who was the lord or master of a particular village or town.
The earliest recorded use of the surname Villasenor can be found in historical records from the region of Castile in central Spain, particularly in the provinces of Valladolid and Burgos. It is believed that the name may have originated as a place name referring to a specific village or town where the family held power or influence.
One of the earliest known individuals with the surname Villasenor was Pedro de Villasenor, who was mentioned in a 14th-century manuscript from the city of Burgos. This document recorded land ownership and transactions, indicating that Pedro de Villasenor was a prominent figure in the area.
In the 16th century, as Spanish colonization expanded into the Americas, the Villasenor surname made its way to the New World. One notable figure was Juan de Villasenor, a Spanish explorer and conquistador who accompanied Hernán Cortés in the conquest of Mexico in the early 1500s.
Another prominent individual with the Villasenor surname was José Antonio Villasenor y Sánchez, a Mexican geographer and cartographer who lived from 1703 to 1759. He is best known for his detailed maps and descriptions of New Spain (colonial Mexico), which were highly influential in their time.
During the 18th century, the Villasenor family played a significant role in the development of the city of Guadalajara, Mexico. One member, Juan Bautista de Villasenor, served as the mayor of Guadalajara in the 1740s and was instrumental in the construction of several important buildings and infrastructure projects.
In the realm of literature, one notable figure was the Mexican writer and journalist Josefina Villasenor (1924-2003), who was renowned for her work in promoting Mexican culture and heritage. Her writings often explored the traditions and customs of her homeland.
As the Villasenor surname spread across Spain and its colonies, it underwent minor variations in spelling, such as Villaseñor or Villa-Señor. However, the core meaning and origin remained rooted in the concept of a lord or master of a particular village or town.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Villasenor
Among Census respondents with the surname Villasenor, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 92.8%. The next largest groups are White (4.3%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Villasenor 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 Villasenor surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino92.8% · 12,331
- White4.3% · 574
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.2% · 287
- Two or more races0.4% · 47
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 29
- Black or African American0.1% · 15
Timeline
Historical Census data for Villasenor
Villasenor 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
#2,548
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 14,180
+3,990 bearers (+39.2%)
Per 100,000 4.81
Rank movement Up 666 places
2020
#2,649
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 13,283
-897 bearers (-6.3%)
Per 100,000 4.44
Rank movement Down 101 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,214 | 10,190 | 3.78 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,548 | 14,180 | 4.81 | +3,990 bearers (+39.2%) | Up 666 places |
| 2020 | #2,649 | 13,283 | 4.44 | -897 bearers (-6.3%) | Down 101 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 Villasenor 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 | #2,548 | #2,649 | -4.0% |
| Count | 14,180 | 13,283 | -6.3% |
| Per 100K | 4.81 | 4.44 | -7.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Villasenor bearers went from 14,180 to 13,283 (-6.3% change). The surname moved down 101 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,548 to #2,649.
FAQ
Villasenor surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Villasenor?
Name Census estimates that about 15,232 living Americans carry the surname Villasenor. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 22,502 residents.
How common is Villasenor?
Villasenor ranks #2,649 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 4.44 per 100,000 residents, which is about 4 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 13,283 people with the surname Villasenor. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (15,232), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 4.44 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 4.44 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 4 of them to have the surname Villasenor.
Has Villasenor become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Villasenor went from 14,180 recorded bearers to 13,283. That is a decrease of 897 (-6.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #2,548 to #2,649.
What does the Census say about the background of Villasenor?
Among Census respondents with the surname Villasenor, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 92.8%. The next largest groups are White (4.3%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.2%). 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 Villasenor in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.8% (12,331 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Villasenor appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (92.8%), White (4.3%), Asian/Pacific Islander (2.2%). 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 Villasenor (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 Villasenor mean?
A Spanish habitational surname indicating a person from any of the various places named Villaseñor, meaning "lord's village." 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 Villasenor (4.44 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 have the last name Villasenor?
Want to know how many people have the surname Villasenor? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.