| ![Show Contents]() Varela Surname History
- Origins Available:
Scotland
Spain
Etymology of VarelaWhat does the name Varela mean? The Hebrides islands and the west coast of Scotland are the ancestral home of the Varela family. Their name comes from the Gaelic name Muiredachus, meaning "belonging to the sea, a mariner," from which also comes the more common and quite distinct name Murdoch. Early Origins of the Varela familyThe surname Varela was first found in Argyllshire (Gaelic erra Ghaidheal), the region of western Scotland corresponding roughly with the ancient Kingdom of Dál Riata, in the Strathclyde region of Scotland, now part of the Council Area of Argyll and Bute, where they held a family seat from early times and their first records appeared on the early census rolls taken by the early Kings of Scotland to determine the rate of taxation of their subjects. Early History of the Varela familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Varela research. Another 116 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1485 and 1845 are included under the topic Early Varela History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Varela Spelling VariationsMedieval translation of Gaelic names could not be referred to as an accurate process. Spelling was not yet standardized, and names in documents from that era are riddled with spelling variations. Varela has been written as MacVurrich, MacVurich, MacVarish, MacVarrais, MacVarrich, MacWirriche, MacVorist, MacVorish, MacMorice, MacNuirighe and many more. Early Notables of the Varela familyMore information is included under the topic Early Varela Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Varela Rankingthe United States, the name Varela is the 2,088th most popular surname with an estimated 14,922 people with that name. 1 However, in South America, the name Varela is ranked the 27th most popular surname with an estimated 120 people with that name. 2
| Varela migration to the United States | + |
Ancestors of many of the Dalriadan families who crossed the Atlantic still live along the east coast of the United States and Canada. Some Scottish settlers arrived in Canada during the American War of Independence as United Empire Loyalists, while others stayed south to fight for a new nation. The descendants of Scottish settlers in both countries began to rediscover their heritage in the 19th and 20th centuries through Clan societies and highland games. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families has revealed a number of immigrants bearing the name Varela or a variant listed above:
Varela Settlers in United States in the 19th Century- Andres Varela, who landed in Puerto Rico in 1803 3
- Cayetano Varela, who landed in Puerto Rico in 1803 3
- Don Y. Varela, aged 30, Spanish settler who arrived in New York aboard the ship "Draper" in 1823 4
- Jose Varela, aged 50, who arrived in New Orleans, La in 1830 3
- Feliz Varela, who arrived in Texas in 1835 3
- ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Varela Settlers in United States in the 20th Century- Eleni Varela, aged 25, Greek settler who arrived in New York aboard the ship "SS Patris of Andros" in 1911
- Constantina Varela, aged 8, Greek settler who arrived in New York aboard the ship "SS Patris of Andros" in 1911
| Varela migration to Australia | + |
Varela Settlers in Australia in the 20th Century- Nicolaos Ioannou Varela, aged 42, Greek settler who arrived in Sydney, Australia aboard the ship "Cephee" in 1928 5
| Contemporary Notables of the name Varela (post 1700) | + |
- Alejandro Varela (b. 1979), American fiction writer, his novel The Town of Babylon was nominated for a National Book Award in 2022
- Manuel F. Varela, American Republican politician, Postmaster at San Juan, Puerto Rico, 1954-62 6
- Jose M. Varela, American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Puerto Rico, 1996 7
- Jesús Pérez Varela (1950-2025), Spanish journalist and politician
- Armando Varela (b. 1997), East Timorese professional footballer
- Antonio María Rouco Varela (b. 1936), Spanish prelate of the Roman Catholic Church
- Amancio Amaro Varela (1939-2023), commonly known simply as Amancio, was a Spanish football player
- Ângelo Manuel Ferreira Varela (b. 1980), Portuguese footballer
- Alan Gonzalo Varela (b. 2001), Argentine professional footballer
- ... (Another 10 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
- "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
- "List of most common surnames in South America." Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_most_common_surnames_in_South_America
- 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)
- Ellis Island Search retrieved 21st October 2021. Retrieved from https://heritage.statueofliberty.org/passenger-result
- National Archives of Australia retrieved 21st October 2021. Retrieved from https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au
- The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 10) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
 |
