2000
#8,377
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,628
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.34
Rare Last name
Valero
A Spanish habitational surname derived from the place name Valero, meaning "small valley" in Spanish.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,421 Americans carry the last name Valero. That puts it at #6,849 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.58 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 63,227 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Valero 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
5.4K
1 in 63,227
Census rank
#6,849
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.7K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,727 bearers of the surname Valero in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.58 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6849th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Valero, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 83.9%. The next largest groups are White (10.3%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (4.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Valero
The surname Valero originated in Spain during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Latin word "valerius," which means "strong" or "vigorous." This name likely referred to an individual with a robust or hardy constitution.
The earliest recorded instance of the Valero surname can be found in the Becerro de Behetrías, a medieval census of Castilian landowners from the 14th century. This document mentions several individuals with the surname Valero residing in the regions of Burgos and Palencia.
During the 15th century, the Valero surname began appearing in various historical records across Spain, particularly in the regions of Andalusia and Aragon. One notable individual from this era was Rodrigo Valero, a knight who fought alongside King Ferdinand II of Aragon during the Reconquista, the Christian reconquest of the Iberian Peninsula from the Moors. Valero was born in 1455 and died in 1525.
In the 16th century, a prominent figure bearing the Valero surname was Juan Valero, a Spanish explorer and navigator. He was born in Seville in 1510 and was part of the expedition led by Juan Sebastián Elcano, which completed the first circumnavigation of the globe after the death of Ferdinand Magellan. Valero played a crucial role in this historic voyage and is mentioned in several accounts from that time.
Another significant individual with the Valero surname was María Valero, a renowned painter from the 17th century. Born in Madrid in 1620, she was one of the few female artists of the Spanish Golden Age and is known for her religious paintings and portraits. Her works can be found in various churches and museums across Spain.
In the 18th century, the Valero surname gained prominence in the literary world with the writer and playwright Antonio Valero y Losa. Born in Valencia in 1744, he authored several plays and poems that were widely acclaimed during his lifetime. His most famous work is the play "El Amor Enamorado," which explored themes of love and passion.
Over the centuries, the Valero surname has spread beyond Spain to other parts of the world, including Latin America and the Philippines, due to Spanish colonization and migration. While the name has evolved slightly in its spelling and pronunciation in different regions, its origins can be traced back to the proud heritage of medieval Spain.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Valero
Among Census respondents with the surname Valero, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 83.9%. The next largest groups are White (10.3%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (4.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Valero 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 Valero surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino83.9% · 3,964
- White10.3% · 488
- Asian and Pacific Islander4.2% · 200
- Two or more races0.8% · 36
- Black or African American0.4% · 20
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 19
Timeline
Historical Census data for Valero
Valero 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
#7,177
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,660
+1,032 bearers (+28.4%)
Per 100,000 1.58
Rank movement Up 1,200 places
2020
#6,849
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,727
+67 bearers (+1.4%)
Per 100,000 1.58
Rank movement Up 328 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,377 | 3,628 | 1.34 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,177 | 4,660 | 1.58 | +1,032 bearers (+28.4%) | Up 1,200 places |
| 2020 | #6,849 | 4,727 | 1.58 | +67 bearers (+1.4%) | Up 328 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 Valero 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 | #7,177 | #6,849 | 4.6% |
| Count | 4,660 | 4,727 | 1.4% |
| Per 100K | 1.58 | 1.58 | 0.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Valero bearers went from 4,660 to 4,727 (+1.4% change). The surname moved up 328 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,177 to #6,849.
FAQ
Valero surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Valero?
Name Census estimates that about 5,421 living Americans carry the surname Valero. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 63,227 residents.
How common is Valero?
Valero ranks #6,849 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.58 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 4,727 people with the surname Valero. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,421), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.58 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.58 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 Valero.
Has Valero become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Valero went from 4,660 recorded bearers to 4,727. That is an increase of 67 (+1.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #7,177 to #6,849.
What does the Census say about the background of Valero?
Among Census respondents with the surname Valero, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 83.9%. The next largest groups are White (10.3%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (4.2%). 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 Valero in the 2020 Census, accounting for 83.9% (3,964 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Valero appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (83.9%), White (10.3%), Asian/Pacific Islander (4.2%). 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 Valero (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 Valero mean?
A Spanish habitational surname derived from the place name Valero, meaning "small valley" in Spanish. 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 Valero (1.58 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 Valero?
See how common the surname Valero is on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.