2000
#10,107
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,936
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.09
Rare Last name
Villeda
Derived from a place name in Spain, likely referring to a town or village.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 6,479 Americans carry the last name Villeda. That puts it at #5,883 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.89 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 52,902 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Villeda 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
6.5K
1 in 52,902
Census rank
#5,883
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
5.7K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 5,650 bearers of the surname Villeda in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.89 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 5883rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Villeda, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 96.2%. The next largest groups are White (3.0%) and Black (0.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Villeda
The surname Villeda is of Spanish origin, tracing its roots back to the medieval period in the Iberian Peninsula. It is believed to have originated from a place name, likely a small village or town, possibly derived from the Latin word "villa," meaning a small village or country estate.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Villeda can be found in the Libro de Repartimiento de Sevilla, a document from the 13th century that recorded the distribution of land and properties after the Christian reconquest of Seville from the Moors in 1248. This suggests that the name was already in use during the latter part of the Reconquista era.
During the 15th century, the surname Villeda appeared in various historical records and manuscripts, indicating its presence across different regions of Spain. One notable individual was Juan de Villeda, a Spanish explorer and conquistador who accompanied Hernán Cortés on his expeditions to Mexico in the early 16th century.
Throughout the centuries, the surname Villeda has been associated with several prominent figures. One example is Pedro Villeda, a Spanish conquistador and explorer who led expeditions in present-day Honduras and Guatemala in the 1530s. Another notable figure was Francisco de Villeda, a Spanish military leader and governor of the province of Yucatán in the late 16th century.
In the 17th century, the surname Villeda surfaced in various parts of the Spanish colonies in the Americas. One notable individual was Diego de Villeda, a Spanish soldier and settler who played a role in the colonization efforts in present-day Costa Rica during the early 1600s.
As the Spanish Empire expanded, the surname Villeda spread across different regions, including the Philippines, where it was introduced during the Spanish colonial era. One notable figure was Manuel Villeda, a Spanish military officer and temporary governor of the Philippines in the late 18th century.
Over the centuries, the surname Villeda has undergone various spelling variations, including Villada, Villado, and Villedo, reflecting the regional dialects and linguistic influences of different areas where the name was present. Despite these variations, the core meaning and origin of the surname remain rooted in its Spanish heritage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Villeda
Among Census respondents with the surname Villeda, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 96.2%. The next largest groups are White (3.0%) and Black (0.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Villeda 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 Villeda surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino96.2% · 5,436
- White3.0% · 168
- Black or African American0.3% · 16
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.2% · 14
- Two or more races0.2% · 12
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Villeda
Villeda 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
#6,201
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,514
+2,578 bearers (+87.8%)
Per 100,000 1.87
Rank movement Up 3,906 places
2020
#5,883
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,650
+136 bearers (+2.5%)
Per 100,000 1.89
Rank movement Up 318 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #10,107 | 2,936 | 1.09 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,201 | 5,514 | 1.87 | +2,578 bearers (+87.8%) | Up 3,906 places |
| 2020 | #5,883 | 5,650 | 1.89 | +136 bearers (+2.5%) | Up 318 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 Villeda 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 | #6,201 | #5,883 | 5.1% |
| Count | 5,514 | 5,650 | 2.5% |
| Per 100K | 1.87 | 1.89 | 1.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Villeda bearers went from 5,514 to 5,650 (+2.5% change). The surname moved up 318 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,201 to #5,883.
FAQ
Villeda surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Villeda?
Name Census estimates that about 6,479 living Americans carry the surname Villeda. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 52,902 residents.
How common is Villeda?
Villeda ranks #5,883 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.89 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 5,650 people with the surname Villeda. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (6,479), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.89 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.89 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Villeda.
Has Villeda become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Villeda went from 5,514 recorded bearers to 5,650. That is an increase of 136 (+2.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #6,201 to #5,883.
What does the Census say about the background of Villeda?
Among Census respondents with the surname Villeda, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 96.2%. The next largest groups are White (3.0%) and Black (0.3%). 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 Villeda in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.2% (5,436 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Villeda appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (96.2%), White (3.0%), Black (0.3%). 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 Villeda (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 Villeda mean?
Derived from a place name in Spain, likely referring to a town or 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 Villeda (1.89 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 Villeda?
You can see how many people are called Villeda on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.