2000
#99,725
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 168
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.06
Very Rare Last name
Vali
A surname derived from a town or city name in Italy.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 314 Americans carry the last name Vali. That puts it at #75,813 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.09 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,091,574 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Vali 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 Vali with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
314
1 in 1,091,574
Census rank
#75,813
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
274
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 274 bearers of the surname Vali in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.09 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 75813th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Vali, the largest self-reported group is White at 52.2%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (36.9%) and Two or More Races (7.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Vali
The surname Vali has its origins in the Indian subcontinent, specifically in the region of South India. It is believed to have emerged during the medieval period, around the 11th or 12th century.
Vali is derived from the Tamil word "vali," which means "strength" or "power." This suggests that the name may have been initially used to describe someone who was physically strong or held a position of authority.
In ancient Tamil literature, such as the Sangam poetry, there are references to individuals bearing the name Vali or its variations. One notable example is Valimukkiyar, a renowned Tamil poet and scholar who lived during the 9th century CE.
The earliest recorded instances of the Vali surname can be traced back to the Chola Dynasty, which ruled over parts of South India from the 9th to the 13th century. Historical records from this period, including inscriptions and copper plate grants, mention individuals with the name Vali or similar variations.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Vali surname gained prominence among the Nair community of Kerala, a martial race known for their military prowess. Some notable figures from this community include Unni Vali Nair (1670-1720), a renowned warrior and military commander, and Kunji Vali Nair (1700-1760), a prominent leader and administrator.
In the 18th century, the Vali surname was also associated with the Maratha Empire, which ruled over large parts of the Indian subcontinent. One prominent figure from this period was Baji Rao Vali (1720-1786), a Maratha general and statesman who played a significant role in expanding the empire's territories.
Another noteworthy individual with the Vali surname was Keshav Vali (1840-1915), a social reformer and educationist from Maharashtra. He was instrumental in establishing several schools and educational institutions in the region.
The Vali surname can also be found in other parts of South Asia, such as Sri Lanka, where it is associated with the Tamil community. One example is Sivalingam Vali (1885-1964), a Sri Lankan Tamil politician and social activist who advocated for the rights of the Tamil minority.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Vali
Among Census respondents with the surname Vali, the largest self-reported group is White at 52.2%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (36.9%) and Two or More Races (7.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Vali 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 Vali surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White52.2% · 143
- Asian and Pacific Islander36.9% · 101
- Two or more races7.7% · 21
- Hispanic or Latino2.6% · 7
- Black or African American0.7% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Vali
Vali 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
#97,671
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 186
+18 bearers (+10.7%)
Per 100,000 0.06
Rank movement Up 2,054 places
2020
#75,813
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 274
+88 bearers (+47.3%)
Per 100,000 0.09
Rank movement Up 21,858 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #99,725 | 168 | 0.06 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #97,671 | 186 | 0.06 | +18 bearers (+10.7%) | Up 2,054 places |
| 2020 | #75,813 | 274 | 0.09 | +88 bearers (+47.3%) | Up 21,858 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 Vali 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 | #97,671 | #75,813 | 22.4% |
| Count | 186 | 274 | 47.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.06 | 0.09 | 52.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Vali bearers went from 186 to 274 (+47.3% change). The surname moved up 21,858 positions in the national ranking, going from #97,671 to #75,813.
FAQ
Vali surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Vali?
Name Census estimates that about 314 living Americans carry the surname Vali. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,091,574 residents.
How common is Vali?
Vali ranks #75,813 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.09 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 274 people with the surname Vali. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (314), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.09 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.09 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Vali.
Has Vali become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Vali went from 186 recorded bearers to 274. That is an increase of 88 (+47.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #97,671 to #75,813.
What does the Census say about the background of Vali?
Among Census respondents with the surname Vali, the largest self-reported group is White at 52.2%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (36.9%) and Two or More Races (7.7%). 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 Vali in the 2020 Census, accounting for 52.2% (143 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Vali appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (52.2%), Asian/Pacific Islander (36.9%), Two or More Races (7.7%). 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 Vali (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 Vali mean?
A surname derived from a town or city name in Italy. 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 Vali (0.09 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 people share the surname Vali?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.