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

Val, 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 Val surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Val in America

Val is the 33772nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Val surname appeared 674 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 Val.

We can also compare 2010 data for Val 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 Val

The surname Val is of French origin, derived from the Old French word "val," which means "valley." The name likely originated as a topographic name, referring to someone who lived in or near a valley. It is believed to have first emerged in the Normandy region of France sometime in the early Middle Ages.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Val can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of land ownership and taxation in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The entry mentions a landowner named Richard de Val, indicating the presence of the name in Normandy before the Norman conquest of England.

In the 12th century, records show a Walter de Val who was a Norman knight and lord of the manor of Val in Guernsey, one of the Channel Islands. This suggests that the name may have been associated with certain localities or manors bearing the name "Val" or a variant thereof.

Another notable figure bearing the surname Val was Jean de Val, a French nobleman and military commander who lived in the 14th century. He served as the Grand Master of the Order of St. John from 1347 to 1349, playing a significant role in the defense of Rhodes against the Ottoman Empire.

During the 16th century, the Val surname spread further across Europe, with records showing individuals bearing this name in various regions, including England, Germany, and the Netherlands. One such individual was Cornelis de Val, a Dutch painter and engraver born in Amsterdam in 1512.

In the 17th century, the Val surname found its way to the American colonies, with records indicating the presence of individuals with this name in New England and other parts of the British colonies. For instance, Samuel Val, born in 1642 in Massachusetts, was one of the earliest recorded bearers of the name in the American colonies.

Throughout history, the Val surname has been associated with various notable figures, including William de Val (1130-1204), a French clergyman and Archbishop of Rouen; Jean-Baptiste de Val (1596-1665), a French mathematician and astronomer; and Charles-André van Loo (1705-1765), a French painter known for his portraits of European royalty.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Val

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

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

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

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