2010
#153,769
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Vaea
A surname of Samoan origin with uncertain meaning.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 120 Americans carry the last name Vaea. That puts it at #152,989 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,856,286 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Vaea 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
120
1 in 2,856,286
Census rank
#152,989
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
105
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 105 bearers of the surname Vaea in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152989th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Vaea, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 83.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (10.5%) and Two or More Races (4.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Vaea
The surname VAEA has its origins in the Pacific Islands, specifically Samoa and Tonga. It is believed to have derived from the Samoan word "va'a," which means "canoe" or "boat." This suggests that the surname may have been associated with seafaring or fishing communities in the region.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name VAEA can be found in 18th-century missionary records from Samoa. Samuel Vaea, born around 1760, was a prominent chief who played a significant role in the early Christian missionary efforts in the islands.
In the 19th century, the name VAEA gained prominence in Tonga. Sione Vaea, born in 1820, was a notable figure who served as the Governor of Vava'u, one of the island groups in Tonga. His contributions to the governance and development of the region were significant.
Another notable figure with the surname VAEA was Mele Vaea, born in 1865 in Tonga. She was a renowned educator and advocate for women's rights, establishing several schools and promoting education for girls in the Pacific Islands.
Moving into the 20th century, Malietau Tanumafili II Vaea, born in 1913, was a prominent leader in Samoa. He served as the Head of State and played a pivotal role in Samoa's transition to independence from New Zealand in 1962.
In more recent times, Pita Vaea, born in 1954, is a respected artist and sculptor from Samoa. His work has been widely exhibited and celebrated, capturing the rich cultural heritage and traditions of the Pacific Islands.
The surname VAEA has also been associated with various place names in Samoa and Tonga, such as Vaea Village in Samoa and Vaea Beach in Tonga, further reinforcing its deep-rooted connections to the region.
While the surname VAEA may not have been as widely documented in historical records as some European surnames, its presence in the Pacific Islands can be traced back centuries, reflecting the rich cultural tapestry of the region and the significance of its seafaring traditions.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Vaea
Among Census respondents with the surname Vaea, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 83.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (10.5%) and Two or More Races (4.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Vaea 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 Vaea surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander83.8% · 88
- Hispanic or Latino10.5% · 11
- Two or more races4.8% · 5
- White1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Vaea
Vaea appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#152,989
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
-1 bearers (-0.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 780 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #153,769 | 106 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #152,989 | 105 | 0.04 | -1 bearers (-0.9%) | Up 780 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 Vaea 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 | #153,769 | #152,989 | 0.5% |
| Count | 106 | 105 | -0.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -12.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Vaea bearers went from 106 to 105 (-0.9% change). The surname moved up 780 positions in the national ranking, going from #153,769 to #152,989.
FAQ
Vaea surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Vaea?
Name Census estimates that about 120 living Americans carry the surname Vaea. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,856,286 residents.
How common is Vaea?
Vaea ranks #152,989 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 105 people with the surname Vaea. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (120), 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 Vaea.
Has Vaea become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Vaea went from 106 recorded bearers to 105. That is a decrease of 1 (-0.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #153,769 to #152,989.
What does the Census say about the background of Vaea?
Among Census respondents with the surname Vaea, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 83.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (10.5%) and Two or More Races (4.8%). 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?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest self-reported group for the surname Vaea in the 2020 Census, accounting for 83.8% (88 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Vaea appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (83.8%), Hispanic (10.5%), Two or More Races (4.8%). 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 Vaea (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 Vaea mean?
A surname of Samoan origin with uncertain meaning. 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 Vaea (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 common is the surname Vaea?
Want to know how many people are called Vaea? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.