2000
#143,847
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Vadell
A surname perhaps originating from Catalan/Spanish place names related to valleys.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 134 Americans carry the last name Vadell. That puts it at #144,270 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,557,868 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Vadell surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
134
1 in 2,557,868
Census rank
#144,270
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
117
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 117 bearers of the surname Vadell in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 144270th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Vadell, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 74.4%. The next largest groups are White (23.9%) and Black (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Vadell
The surname Vadell has its origins in Spain, specifically in the region of Valencia. The name is thought to have derived from the Valencian word "vall," which translates to "valley" in English. This suggests that the name likely originated from a geographical location or a place name associated with a valley or valleys.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Vadell can be traced back to the 13th century, where it appeared in official documents from the Kingdom of Valencia. During this time, the name was often spelled as "Vall" or "Valls," reflecting its close ties to the Valencian word for "valley."
In the late 15th century, the name Vadell began to appear more frequently in records from the town of Llíria, located near Valencia. This town was known for its fertile valleys and agricultural activities, which may have contributed to the adoption of the name by local families.
Throughout the 16th and 17th centuries, the Vadell surname spread across Spain, with notable individuals bearing the name emerging in various regions. One such individual was Juan Vadell, a prominent merchant and landowner from Mallorca who lived in the late 16th century.
As the Spanish empire expanded, the Vadell surname also found its way to the Americas. In the 18th century, records show the presence of Vadell families in colonial settlements across the Caribbean and Latin America, likely as a result of migration from Spain.
In the 19th century, a notable figure with the Vadell surname was José Vadell y Mas, a Spanish painter born in 1846 in Palma de Mallorca. He was known for his landscapes and genre paintings, and his works are showcased in various museums across Spain.
Another prominent individual with the Vadell surname was Antonio Vadell y Matas, a Spanish military officer who served in the Spanish-American War in the late 19th century. He played a significant role in the defense of Santiago de Cuba during the conflict.
In the 20th century, the Vadell surname gained recognition in the world of sports. Sebastián Vadell, a Chilean footballer born in 1927, represented his country in the 1950 FIFA World Cup and had a successful career playing for various clubs in Chile and Colombia.
More recently, in the field of arts and entertainment, María Vadell is a notable Spanish actress and singer born in 1963. She has appeared in numerous television shows, films, and stage productions throughout her career, earning critical acclaim for her performances.
While the surname Vadell may have evolved in spelling and pronunciation over the centuries, its roots can be traced back to the valleys of Valencia, where it originated as a geographic identifier for families living in or near these areas.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Vadell
Among Census respondents with the surname Vadell, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 74.4%. The next largest groups are White (23.9%) and Black (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Vadell bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Vadell surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino74.4% · 87
- White23.9% · 28
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Vadell
Vadell appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#135,593
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 124
+18 bearers (+17.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 8,254 places
2020
#144,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
-7 bearers (-5.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 8,677 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #143,847 | 106 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #135,593 | 124 | 0.04 | +18 bearers (+17.0%) | Up 8,254 places |
| 2020 | #144,270 | 117 | 0.04 | -7 bearers (-5.6%) | Down 8,677 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Vadell surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #135,593 | #144,270 | -6.4% |
| Count | 124 | 117 | -5.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -2.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Vadell bearers went from 124 to 117 (-5.6% change). The surname moved down 8,677 positions in the national ranking, going from #135,593 to #144,270.
FAQ
Vadell surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Vadell?
Name Census estimates that about 134 living Americans carry the surname Vadell. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,557,868 residents.
How common is Vadell?
Vadell ranks #144,270 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 117 people with the surname Vadell. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (134), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Vadell.
Has Vadell become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Vadell went from 124 recorded bearers to 117. That is a decrease of 7 (-5.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #135,593 to #144,270.
What does the Census say about the background of Vadell?
Among Census respondents with the surname Vadell, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 74.4%. The next largest groups are White (23.9%) and Black (0.9%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Vadell in the 2020 Census, accounting for 74.4% (87 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Vadell appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (74.4%), White (23.9%), Black (0.9%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Vadell (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Vadell mean?
A surname perhaps originating from Catalan/Spanish place names related to valleys. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Vadell (0.04 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the surname Vadell?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.