2000
#9,462
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,153
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.17
Rare Last name
Vale
An English and Spanish topographic surname referring to someone who lived in a valley.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,780 Americans carry the last name Vale. That puts it at #9,444 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.10 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 90,676 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Vale 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Vale with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.8K
1 in 90,676
Census rank
#9,444
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,296 bearers of the surname Vale in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.10 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9444th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Vale, the largest self-reported group is White at 56.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (34.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Vale
The surname VALE is of English origin, tracing its roots back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English word "veal" or "vall," meaning a valley or low-lying area between hills or mountains. This name was likely adopted as a topographic surname, given to individuals who resided in or near a particular valley.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name VALE can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of lands and properties in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The entry mentions a certain "Roger de Vale," indicating the presence of this surname in the 11th century.
During the 13th century, the VALE surname appeared in various forms, such as "de la Vale" and "atte Vale," reflecting the Norman-French influence on English language and naming conventions at the time. These variations often denoted a person's place of origin or residence.
Notable individuals bearing the VALE surname include Sir Thomas de la Vale (c. 1345-1370), an English knight who fought alongside Edward the Black Prince during the Hundred Years' War. Another prominent figure was John Vale (c. 1460-1516), a renowned English priest and scholar who served as the Dean of Windsor and the Provost of Eton College.
In the 16th century, the VALE surname was also associated with several prominent families in England, such as the Vales of Hertfordshire and the Vales of Suffolk. One noteworthy individual from this period was Robert Vale (1508-1562), an English politician and landowner who served as a Member of Parliament for Norfolk.
The 17th century saw the rise of the Vale family of Gloucestershire, with Sir Thomas Vale (1586-1665) being a prominent figure. He was a wealthy landowner, Member of Parliament, and a staunch Royalist during the English Civil War.
As the VALE surname spread across England and eventually to other parts of the British Isles, various spellings emerged, including Veale, Vail, and Vaile. These variations were often influenced by regional dialects and local pronunciations.
Other notable individuals with the VALE surname include Charles Vale (1767-1832), an English landscape painter known for his picturesque depictions of rural scenes, and Edmund Vale (1825-1891), a British architect who designed several notable buildings in London, including the Royal Opera House.
The VALE surname has a rich history deeply rooted in the English landscape and culture, reflecting the topographic origins of many surnames in medieval times. Its enduring presence across centuries and various localities serves as a testament to its significance in the annals of English heritage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Vale
Among Census respondents with the surname Vale, the largest self-reported group is White at 56.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (34.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Vale 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 Vale surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White56.3% · 1,854
- Hispanic or Latino34.8% · 1,146
- Asian and Pacific Islander3.5% · 114
- Black or African American2.8% · 92
- Two or more races2.0% · 67
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 23
Timeline
Historical Census data for Vale
Vale appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#9,728
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,334
+181 bearers (+5.7%)
Per 100,000 1.13
Rank movement Down 266 places
2020
#9,444
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,296
-38 bearers (-1.1%)
Per 100,000 1.10
Rank movement Up 284 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,462 | 3,153 | 1.17 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,728 | 3,334 | 1.13 | +181 bearers (+5.7%) | Down 266 places |
| 2020 | #9,444 | 3,296 | 1.10 | -38 bearers (-1.1%) | Up 284 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 Vale 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 | #9,728 | #9,444 | 2.9% |
| Count | 3,334 | 3,296 | -1.1% |
| Per 100K | 1.13 | 1.10 | -2.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Vale bearers went from 3,334 to 3,296 (-1.1% change). The surname moved up 284 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,728 to #9,444.
FAQ
Vale surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Vale?
Name Census estimates that about 3,780 living Americans carry the surname Vale. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 90,676 residents.
How common is Vale?
Vale ranks #9,444 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.10 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,296 people with the surname Vale. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,780), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.1 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.10 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Vale.
Has Vale become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Vale went from 3,334 recorded bearers to 3,296. That is a decrease of 38 (-1.1%). In the national ranking it rose from #9,728 to #9,444.
What does the Census say about the background of Vale?
Among Census respondents with the surname Vale, the largest self-reported group is White at 56.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (34.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.5%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Vale in the 2020 Census, accounting for 56.3% (1,854 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Vale appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (56.3%), Hispanic (34.8%), Asian/Pacific Islander (3.5%). 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 Vale (2000, 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 Vale mean?
An English and Spanish topographic surname referring to someone who lived in a valley. 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 Vale (1.10 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 many Americans have the surname Vale?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.