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

Vakalahi, 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 Vakalahi surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Vakalahi in America

Vakalahi is the 149395th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Vakalahi surname appeared 110 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 Vakalahi.

The history of the last name Vakalahi

The surname VAKALAHI has its origins in the Polynesian islands of the South Pacific, particularly in Tonga and Samoa. It is believed to have emerged around the 15th century, when the Tongan and Samoan cultures were flourishing.

The name VAKALAHI is derived from the Tongan words "vaka" meaning "canoe" or "boat" and "lahi" meaning "great" or "large." It is likely that the name was initially bestowed upon skilled seafarers or navigators who excelled in building and piloting large canoes or voyaging vessels.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name VAKALAHI can be found in the oral traditions and genealogies of Tongan and Samoan families, which were meticulously preserved and passed down through generations. These oral histories often mentioned individuals with this surname who were renowned navigators or chiefs.

In the 18th and 19th centuries, as European explorers and missionaries made contact with the Polynesian islands, some written records began to emerge that included the name VAKALAHI. For instance, the journals of Captain James Cook, who visited Tonga in the late 1700s, mentioned encounters with individuals bearing this surname.

One notable individual with the surname VAKALAHI was Siaosi Vakalahi, a Tongan chief and navigator who lived in the early 19th century. He was renowned for his expertise in traditional Polynesian navigation techniques and played a pivotal role in the exploration and settlement of several islands in the region.

Another famous bearer of the VAKALAHI name was Tevita Vakalahi, a Samoan navigator and explorer who lived in the late 18th century. He is credited with leading voyages that discovered and established settlements on several remote Polynesian islands.

In the 19th century, the name VAKALAHI also gained prominence in Hawaii, where several individuals with this surname held positions of influence and leadership. One such person was Keli'ilokalani Vakalahi, a Hawaiian chief and advisor to King Kamehameha III, who lived from 1812 to 1881.

As the centuries passed, the VAKALAHI surname spread beyond the Polynesian islands, with many bearers of the name migrating to other parts of the world. However, the name's deep roots in Tongan and Samoan culture and its association with seafaring and navigation remain an integral part of its history and significance.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Vakalahi

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

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 Vakalahi 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.

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 Vakalahi was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!