Villar History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
France
Spain
Ireland

Villar is a name that was carried to England in the great wave of migration from Normandy following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Villar family lived in Villiers, Normandy, the family's place of residence prior to the Norman Conquest of England in 1066.

"The family are said to have come into England with the Conqueror, which is probable. There are at present six places in Normandy so called, besides a larger number called Villers, one of the numerous ways in which the surname is spelled. The Earl of Jersey's family trace to Alexander de Villiers, lord of Brokesby, co. Lancaster, early in the XIII, century. Sir Richard de Villars was a Crusader under Edward I., and hence the cross and escallop shells in the coat-armour of his descendants." 1

The existing family of Villiers "claim to belong to the race of Villiers in Normandy, from which sprang Pierre de Villiers, Grand Master in the reign of Charles VI., and Jacques de Villiers, Provost of Paris and Mareschal of France in the same period." 2

Early Origins of the Villar family

The surname Villar was first found in Leicestershire where they held a family seat as Lords of the manor of Rokesby from the time of the Norman Conquest of England by Duke William in 1066 A.D. Galderfridus de Villers of St. Evroult, accompanied Duke William into England with his son, Pagan de Villiers, who obtained the barony of Warrington in Lancashire and was also Lord of Crosby in that same shire.

Interestingly, "the present coat of arms is said to have been assumed in the reign of Edward I., as a badge of Sir Richard de Villars' services in the crusades." 3 The previous shield was "Sable, three cinquefoils argent."

"Michael de Valers was summoned from Gloucester in 1300, for military service in Scotland." 2

Early History of the Villar family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Villar research. Another 130 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1485, 1531, 1532, 1537, 1538, 1539, 1544, 1550, 1574, 1591, 1592, 1606, 1620, 1621, 1625, 1626, 1628, 1654, 1656, 1657, 1682, 1687, 1689, 1693, 1711, 1721 and 1907 are included under the topic Early Villar History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Villar Spelling Variations

Before the last few hundred years the English language had no fixed system of spelling rules. For that reason, spelling variations occurred commonly in Anglo Norman surnames. Over the years, many variations of the name Villar were recorded, including Villers, Villiers, Villieres, Vilers, Viliers, Vilieres, Villars, Villere, Viller, Villier, Villiere, Viler, Vilier, Viliere, Villar, Villere, Devillieres and many more.

Early Notables of the Villar family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Sir John Villers of Brooksby; and his son, Sir John Villers (1485-1544), of Brooksby Hall, Leicestershire, an English politician, High Sheriff of Warwickshire and Leicestershire for 1531-1532 and 1537-1538, Member of the Parliament for Leicestershire in 1539; Sir George Villiers, of Brokesby (1550-1606), member of the English gentry; Sir Edward Villiers (c. 1574-1626), an English diplomat, office-holder and politician who sat in the House of Commons...
Another 74 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Villar Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Villar Ranking

In the United States, the name Villar is the 8,983^rd most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 4 However, in France, the name Villar is ranked the 6,400^th most popular surname with an estimated 1,000 - 1,500 people with that name. 5

Migration of the Villar family to Ireland

Some of the Villar family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 104 words (7 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Villar migration to the United States +

The unstable environment in England at this time caused numerous families to board ships and leave in search of opportunity and freedom from persecution abroad in places like Ireland, Australia, and particularly the New World. The voyage was extremely difficult, however, and only taken at great expense. The cramped conditions and unsanitary nature of the vessels caused many to arrive diseased and starving, not to mention destitute from the enormous cost. Still opportunity in the emerging nations of Canada and the United States was far greater than at home and many went on to make important contributions to the cultures of their adopted countries. An examination of many early immigration records reveals that people bearing the name Villar arrived in North America very early:

Villar Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Rafael De Villar, aged 33, who landed in Puerto Rico in 1803 6
Charles Villar, who settled in Philadelphia in 1806
Gines Villar, aged 24, who landed in Puerto Rico in 1826 6
Francisco Villar, who landed in New Orleans, La in 1829 6
Gabriel Villar, who arrived in Puerto Rico in 1852 6
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Villar (post 1700) +

Francisca Villar (b. 1983), American politician, Socialism and Liberation Candidate for Mayor of New York City, New York, 2009 7
Miguel Pérez Villar (1945-2022), Spanish businessman and politician, Member of the Senate of Spain from 1991 to 1993
Domingo Villar (1971-2022), Spanish crime writer, born and raised in Vigo, Galicia, Spain
Diego Nicolás Villar (b. 1981), Argentine football winger
Cynthia Aguilar Villar (b. 1950), Filipino politician
Ángel María Villar Llona (b. 1950), Spanish retired professional footballer
Ricardo Villar (b. 1979), Brazilian footballer
Manuel "Manny" Bamba Villar Jr. (b. 1949), Filipino businessman and politician

The Villar Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Fidei coticula crux
Motto Translation: The cross is the test of truth.

Citations +

Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Cleveland, Dutchess of The Battle Abbey Roll with some Account of the Norman Lineages. London: John Murray, Abermarle Street, 1889. Print. Volume 3 of 3
Shirley, Evelyn Philip, The Noble and Gentle Men of England; The Arms and Descents. Westminster: John Bower Nichols and Sons, 1866, Print.
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 28) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html