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

Villela, 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 Villela surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Villela in America

Villela is the 8812th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Villela surname appeared 3,716 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Villela.

We can also compare 2010 data for Villela 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 Villela

The surname Villela originated in Spain during the medieval period. It is derived from the Spanish word "villa," meaning a small town or village, and the suffix "-ela," which denotes a diminutive or smaller version. This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived in a small village or hamlet.

The earliest recorded instances of the Villela surname can be traced back to the 13th century. It is believed to have been particularly prevalent in the regions of Castile and Aragon, where many villages and small towns were established during the Reconquista, the centuries-long period of Christian conquest over Muslim-ruled territories in the Iberian Peninsula.

One of the earliest known references to the Villela name can be found in the "Libro de la Montería" (Book of the Hunt), a 14th-century manuscript written for King Alfonso XI of Castile. This document mentions a place called "Villela" in the province of Soria, suggesting that the surname may have originated from this locality.

During the 15th century, the Villela surname gained prominence in various parts of Spain. Notable individuals from this period include Juan Villela, a renowned painter from Zaragoza who flourished around 1470, and Pedro Villela, a soldier who fought in the conquest of Granada in 1492.

In the 16th century, the Villela name spread beyond Spain to the Spanish colonies in the Americas. One notable figure was Juan de Villela, a Spanish conquistador who participated in the conquest of Mexico alongside Hernán Cortés in the early 1500s.

The 17th century saw the rise of Diego de Villela y Aldama, a Spanish noble and military officer who served as Governor of the Philippines from 1671 to 1677. Another prominent individual from this era was Juan de Villela y Moncada, a Spanish-born intellectual and author who lived in Peru and wrote extensively on colonial administration and indigenous affairs.

In the 18th century, the Villela surname continued to be prominent in various parts of the Spanish-speaking world. One noteworthy figure was Manuel de Villela y Gutiérrez, a Mexican-born military officer and politician who served as Governor of Coahuila y Tejas (present-day Texas) from 1746 to 1751.

As the centuries passed, the Villela surname spread to other regions of the world, including Portugal, Italy, and parts of Latin America. While its origins can be traced back to medieval Spain, the name has become a part of the cultural heritage of numerous countries and communities.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Villela

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

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

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

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