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

Vaknin, 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 Vaknin surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Vaknin in America

Vaknin is the 77012th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Vaknin surname appeared 249 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 Vaknin.

We can also compare 2010 data for Vaknin 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 Vaknin

The surname Vaknin is of Sephardic Jewish origin, originating from the Iberian Peninsula during the Middle Ages. It is believed to be derived from the Hebrew word "vekhen," meaning "and thus" or "and so," often used as a rhetorical device in Jewish legal texts and religious writings.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Vaknin surname can be found in the Shetar Herem, a document issued by the Jewish community of Seville, Spain, in the late 14th century. This document lists several Jewish families, including the Vaknins, who were expelled from the city during the persecution of Jews in the region.

In the 15th century, during the Spanish Inquisition, many Sephardic Jews were forced to convert to Christianity or flee the Iberian Peninsula. Some Vaknin families sought refuge in the Ottoman Empire, particularly in what is now modern-day Turkey and Greece, where they established new communities and preserved their Jewish heritage.

One notable figure from this period was Rabbi Yosef Vaknin, born in Salonika, Greece, in the late 15th century. He was a renowned scholar and author of several works on Jewish law and philosophy, including his commentary on the Mishneh Torah, a seminal work of Jewish jurisprudence.

As the Vaknin family dispersed throughout the Mediterranean region and beyond, the surname underwent various spelling variations, such as Vakhnin, Vachnin, and Vacnin, reflecting the linguistic influences of the regions they settled in.

In the 17th century, a branch of the Vaknin family found its way to the Dutch Republic, where they contributed to the vibrant Jewish community in Amsterdam. One notable figure from this period was Isaac Vaknin, a prominent merchant and philanthropist who supported Jewish institutions and the education of underprivileged children.

Another prominent Vaknin was Rabbi Shlomo Vaknin, born in Izmir, Ottoman Empire (now Turkey), in the late 18th century. He was a renowned Kabbalist and author of several mystical works, including his commentary on the Zohar, a fundamental text of Jewish mysticism.

In the 19th and early 20th centuries, as many Sephardic Jews migrated to the Americas and other parts of the world, the Vaknin surname became more widespread. One notable figure from this period was Rabbi Eliyahu Vaknin, born in Casablanca, Morocco, in the early 20th century. He was a respected spiritual leader and author who played a significant role in preserving Sephardic Jewish traditions and culture among the Moroccan Jewish diaspora.

Overall, the surname Vaknin has a rich and diverse history, reflecting the resilience and perseverance of the Sephardic Jewish community through centuries of migration, persecution, and cultural preservation.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Vaknin

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

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

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

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