Virgal
From the Latin virgula meaning "small twig or shoot".
Name Census estimates that about 47 living Americans carry the first name Virgal. It is a predominantly male name (97.8% of registrations). The average person named Virgal today is around 78 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Virgal births was 1927 (14 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Virgal. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • The typical person named Virgal is about 78 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Virgals were born before 1958.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Virgal. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
47
~ 1 in 7,292,645 Americans
Peak year
1927
14 babies that year
Average age
78
years old
1962 SSA rank
#4,609
Tracked since 1916
Gender
Gender distribution for Virgal
Virgal leans heavily male at 97.8% of total registrations, but 5 girls have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
Virgal as a male name
- Ranked #4,609 in 1962
- 5 male births in 1962
- Peak: 1927 (14 births)
Virgal as a female name
- Ranked #5,527 in 1919
- 5 female births in 1919
- Peak: 1919 (5 births)
Popularity
Virgal: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Virgal from the 1910s through to the 1960s, spanning 6 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1920s, with 74 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1920s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Virgal by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Virgal during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Virgal
The name Virgal originates from the Latin word "virga," which means "branch" or "twig." The name's roots can be traced back to ancient Rome, where it was likely used as a descriptive name or a nickname for someone who was associated with branches or twigs, such as a woodworker or a gardener.
In the Middle Ages, the name Virgal was relatively uncommon but can be found in historical records from various European regions. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name is from a 12th-century manuscript from Northern Italy, where a man named Virgal is mentioned as a witness to a legal document.
Throughout history, the name Virgal has been borne by a few notable individuals. One of the earliest was Virgal of Salzburg, a 9th-century Benedictine monk and scholar who served as the Archbishop of Salzburg from 767 to 784. He was known for his efforts in promoting education and establishing schools in the region.
Another notable figure was Virgal of Arles, a 10th-century Benedictine abbot and scholar who resided in the city of Arles in southern France. He was renowned for his writings on theological and philosophical subjects, as well as his contributions to the preservation of ancient manuscripts.
In the 13th century, there was a French nobleman named Virgal de Montmorency, who was a prominent figure in the court of King Louis IX. He participated in various military campaigns and was known for his bravery and loyalty to the crown.
During the Renaissance period, a Italian artist named Virgal Boncompagni (1501-1574) gained recognition for his frescoes and paintings in churches and palaces throughout Italy. He was particularly known for his works in the city of Bologna, where he spent a significant part of his career.
In more recent times, one of the few individuals named Virgal was an American author and poet named Virgal Partain (1916-1992). He was born in Arkansas and is best known for his poetry collections that explored themes of rural life and the natural world.
While the name Virgal has been relatively uncommon throughout history, it holds a unique connection to ancient Roman roots and has been borne by individuals from various walks of life, including religious figures, nobles, artists, and writers. Despite its rarity, the name has endured as a testament to its distinctive and intriguing origins.
People
Virgal + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Virgal as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with V
Other first names starting with V with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Virgal: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Virgal?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 47 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Virgal going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 7,292,645 US residents.
Is Virgal a common name?
We classify Virgal as "Very Rare". It ranks above 53.4% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 225 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Virgal most popular?
The single biggest year for Virgal was 1927, when 14 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Virgal is about 78 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Virgal in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Virgal a male name?
Yes, 97.8% of people registered as Virgal in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Virgal still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Virgal in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Virgal can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people have Virgal as a first name?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the name Virgal on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.