Valenzuela
A Spanish toponymic surname from places named Valenzuela, literally meaning “small valley” or “little valley.”
The #584 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 5,380 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Valenzuela is a Spanish surname taken from a place-name. It ultimately comes from Latin vallem, meaning “valley,” with the diminutive ending -uela, giving the sense of a “little valley” or “small valley.” As with many Spanish surnames, it likely began as a designation for someone who came from a town or estate called Valenzuela.
History
The surname is well established in Spain and spread widely through Spanish colonial expansion, especially to Latin America. It is common today in countries such as Mexico, Colombia, Chile, and the Dominican Republic, as well as in the United States. The historical excerpts provided list Valenzuela among Spanish surnames, which fits its long-standing recognition as a Hispanic locational name.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Several places in Spain bear the name Valenzuela, which helped the surname travel independently in different family lines.
From the historical record
“Juan Villamala Juana M. Pinochet Juan J. Valenzuela Toribio Zauayo Juan B Martinez Luis A. Leiva Cárlos R Valencia Antonio Acuña José M. Hernandez M. Antonio Acuña Luis Lacoste José del C. Escalante Juan Soza Ernesto Mondaca”
— Diccionario de los apellidos