Find out how popular the last name Vaiana is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Vaiana.

Vaiana, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Vaiana surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Vaiana in America

Vaiana is the 100791st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Vaiana surname appeared 179 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Vaiana.

We can also compare 2010 data for Vaiana to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Vaiana

The surname VAIANA is of Polynesian origin, specifically from the Samoan and Tongan languages. It is believed to have emerged in the 18th century or earlier among the indigenous populations of the South Pacific islands.

The name VAIANA is derived from the Proto-Polynesian word "vai," which means "water" or "river," and the suffix "-ana," which is a common ending for Polynesian names. The name likely originated as a reference to a person living near a body of water or as a descriptive name for someone with a connection to water.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name VAIANA can be found in the journals of European explorers who visited the Samoan Islands in the late 18th century. These explorers often documented the names of local chiefs and notable individuals they encountered during their voyages.

In the 19th century, the name VAIANA appears in various records and documents related to the Samoan and Tongan communities, including missionary reports, census records, and genealogical accounts. It is believed that some individuals with the name VAIANA were among the early Polynesians who migrated to other Pacific islands, such as Hawaii and New Zealand.

Notable historical figures with the surname VAIANA include:

1. Vaiana Naidu (1913-1983), a Fijian politician and activist who played a significant role in the independence movement of Fiji.
2. Vaiana Tuiloma (born 1964), a Samoan-born New Zealand rugby union player who represented Samoa at the 1991 Rugby World Cup.
3. Vaiana Sappa (born 1982), a Samoan-American singer and songwriter known for her work in promoting and preserving traditional Samoan music.
4. Vaiana Leilua (born 1989), a Samoan weightlifter who has competed in multiple Olympic Games and Commonwealth Games.
5. Vaiana Toa (born 1995), a Tongan swimmer who has represented Tonga in various international competitions, including the Pacific Games and Commonwealth Games.

While the surname VAIANA is not as common as some other Polynesian names, it has a rich cultural heritage and continues to be used by individuals with ties to the Samoan, Tongan, and other Pacific Island communities.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Vaiana

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Vaiana.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Vaiana was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Vaiana has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Vaiana was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Vaiana, please contact us.

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