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

Villeneuve, 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 Villeneuve surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Villeneuve in America

Villeneuve is the 17258th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Villeneuve surname appeared 1,641 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 Villeneuve.

We can also compare 2010 data for Villeneuve 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 Villeneuve

The surname VILLENEUVE originated in France, likely in the 12th century. It is derived from the French words "ville" meaning "town" and "neuve" meaning "new," essentially translating to "new town." This suggests the name was originally associated with someone who lived in or came from a newly established town or village.

One of the earliest known references to the name VILLENEUVE can be found in the Domesday Book, a manuscript commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. It recorded the name Vilanova, which is the Latin equivalent of VILLENEUVE, in various parts of England after the Norman conquest.

In the 13th century, the surname VILLENEUVE appeared in several historical records across France, such as the Cartulaire de l'Église de Grenoble (1235) and the Cartulaire de l'Abbaye de Savigny (1260). These documents mention individuals with the name VILLENEUVE residing in regions like Grenoble and Savigny.

Notable figures with the surname VILLENEUVE include Arnaud de Villeneuve (1238-1311), a renowned Catalan philosopher, astrologer, and alchemist. Another prominent figure was Hubert de Villeneuve (1270-1355), a French nobleman and military leader who fought in the Hundred Years' War.

In the 16th century, François de Villeneuve (1510-1557) was a French diplomat and historian who served as the ambassador to Rome. Around the same time, Pierre de Villeneuve (1515-1594) was a French mathematician and astronomer known for his contributions to trigonometry.

One of the most famous individuals with the surname VILLENEUVE was Philippe de Villiers de L'Isle-Adam (1464-1534), a French naval officer and the 44th Grand Master of the Knights Hospitaller. He played a crucial role in the defense of Rhodes against the Ottoman Empire.

Over the centuries, various spellings and variations of the name VILLENEUVE emerged, such as Villeneuve, Villeneufe, and Villanova, reflecting regional linguistic differences and adaptations. The name also became associated with certain place names, like Villeneuve-sur-Lot, a town in southwestern France, and Villeneuve-d'Ascq, a commune in northern France.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Villeneuve

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

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

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

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