Villanueva
A Spanish surname meaning “new town” or “new village,” originally used for people from a place so named.
The #539 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 4,989 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Villanueva is a Spanish habitational surname built from villa, meaning a village, estate, or town, and nueva, meaning new. The literal sense is “new town” or “new village,” typically referring to someone who came from a place called Villanueva. The place-name itself goes back to Latin villa nova, “new villa/new settlement.”
History
This surname is widespread in the Spanish-speaking world because Villanueva is a common place-name in Spain and later in Spanish America. Historical Spanish writers and onomastic compilations list it among standard toponymic surnames. It is especially common in Spain, Mexico, and the broader Hispanic diaspora.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Because villa once meant both a rural settlement and an estate, surnames like Villanueva often started as very practical labels for people identified by where they lived or came from.
From the historical record
“* Villanova 440. Villanova d'Ourem 77. ♦Villanueva 77. ♦Villar del Rey 400. * Villa-Real 440. Villarino 64. Villars 243.”
— Die Personennamen, insbesondere die Familiennamen