Spelling Variations
In Memoriam
Origins
The surname Villasana is of Spanish toponymic origin, derived from a geographic place name rather than a patronymic or occupational term. Specifically, the name originates from Villasana de Mena, a town in the province of Burgos in Castilla y León, northern Spain. The place name combines villa (a settlement or village) with sana (healthy or sound), indicating an early designation for a location and, over time, for individuals and families associated with that place.
As hereditary surnames became established in medieval Spain, individuals identified by their origin—such as "de Villasana"—passed this descriptor down through generations, eventually becoming the fixed surname Villasana. Early bearers of the name are found in civil and ecclesiastical records in Burgos and neighboring regions such as La Rioja, where families recorded their noble status (hidalguía) before the Real Chancillería de Valladolid in the 16th and 17th centuries.
During Spain’s period of overseas expansion in the 16th and 17th centuries, members of the Villasana family migrated to the New World, particularly into New Spain (modern-day Mexico), where the surname appears in colonial parish and civil records. Over subsequent centuries, Villasana families became rooted in Mexican communities, integrating into local social, religious, and economic life. Their descendants continue to bear the name throughout Mexico and in other parts of the Americas today.
This genealogical study traces the Villasana surname from its Spanish origins through colonial Mexico, guided by documentary evidence in both Iberian and New World archives
Migration to the Americas
It is believed Gabriel Villasana was one of the earliest from this line to come to what is today Mexico. He came in 1537 with his wife Francisca Lopez from Burgos, Spain. Francisca's parents Alonso Lopez and Isabel Fernandez were already residents of Mexico City. Gabriel's parents were Diego de Villasana and Isabel de Salazar (or Zamudio).