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

Villena, 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 Villena surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Villena in America

Villena is the 26126th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Villena surname appeared 937 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Villena.

We can also compare 2010 data for Villena 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 Villena

The surname VILLENA originated in Spain during the Middle Ages. It is a locational name derived from the town of Villena in the province of Alicante, Valencia. The name itself likely comes from the Latin word "villa," meaning a country estate or farm, combined with the suffix "-ena," indicating location or origin.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name VILLENA can be found in the "Repartimiento de Sevilla," a document from the 13th century that recorded the distribution of lands and properties in Seville after the Christian conquest. This document mentions several individuals with the surname VILLENA, suggesting the name's presence in Spain during that time.

In the 14th century, the VILLENA name gained prominence through the powerful noble family of the same name. Don Juan Manuel, Prince of Villena (1282-1349), was a renowned writer, politician, and military leader who served as the regent of Castile during the minority of Alfonso XI. His literary work, "El Conde Lucanor," is considered a masterpiece of medieval Spanish literature.

Another notable figure with the VILLENA surname was Enrique de Aragón y Villena (1384-1434), a Spanish nobleman, writer, and scholar known for his interest in occult sciences and his patronage of the arts. He was a grand master of the Order of Calatrava and played a significant role in the political and cultural life of his time.

In the 16th century, the VILLENA name appeared in the writings of Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra, the renowned Spanish author of "Don Quixote." In his work, Cervantes mentioned a character named Pedro de Villena, suggesting the name's prevalence in Spain during that period.

During the 17th century, Francisco de Villena (1614-1672) was a Spanish painter and engraver known for his religious works and portraits. His art can be found in various churches and museums throughout Spain.

The VILLENA surname has also been associated with the town of Villena itself, which has a rich historical heritage dating back to the Roman and Moorish periods. The town's castle, known as the Castillo de la Atalaya, was an important fortification during the Reconquista, the period of Christian reconquest of the Iberian Peninsula from the Moors.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Villena

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

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

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

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