2000
#45,227
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 446
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.17
Very Rare Last name
Valliant
A French surname derived from the Latin word "valens", meaning strong or brave.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 594 Americans carry the last name Valliant. That puts it at #44,611 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.17 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 577,028 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Valliant 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.
Bearers in the US
594
1 in 577,028
Census rank
#44,611
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
518
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 518 bearers of the surname Valliant in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.17 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 44611th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Valliant, the largest self-reported group is White at 63.7%. The next largest groups are Black (25.9%) and Two or More Races (6.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Valliant
The surname Valliant originated from the French region of Normandy during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old French word "vaillant," meaning "brave" or "valiant." This name likely originated as a descriptive nickname for someone known for their courage or bravery.
In the 11th century, many Norman families bearing the name Valliant accompanied William the Conqueror during the Norman conquest of England in 1066. As a result, the name became established in various parts of England, particularly in the counties of Yorkshire and Lincolnshire.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, where a certain William Valliant is listed as a landowner in Lincolnshire. This suggests that the name had already gained a foothold in England by the late 11th century.
During the Middle Ages, the name underwent various spelling variations, including Valiante, Valiant, and Valliante. These variations were likely due to regional dialects and the inconsistencies in written records at the time.
Notable individuals bearing the surname Valliant include:
1. Jean Valliant (c. 1540-1608), a French Protestant theologian and scholar.
2. William Valliant (c. 1590-1652), an English writer and poet during the reign of King Charles I.
3. Marie-Madeleine Valliant (1655-1737), a French portrait painter and miniaturist during the Baroque period.
4. Charles Valliant (1777-1849), a French military officer who served under Napoleon Bonaparte.
5. Jean-Baptiste Valliant (1816-1886), a French naturalist and explorer known for his travels in South Africa.
Over time, the Valliant surname spread across various regions of Europe, with many bearers of the name contributing to various fields, including literature, art, military service, and scientific exploration. While the name's origins can be traced back to medieval Normandy, its legacy has endured, reflecting the courage and bravery associated with its meaning.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Valliant
Among Census respondents with the surname Valliant, the largest self-reported group is White at 63.7%. The next largest groups are Black (25.9%) and Two or More Races (6.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Valliant 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 Valliant surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White63.7% · 330
- Black or African American25.9% · 134
- Two or more races6.0% · 31
- Hispanic or Latino3.9% · 20
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.2% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Valliant
Valliant 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
#42,511
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 510
+64 bearers (+14.3%)
Per 100,000 0.17
Rank movement Up 2,716 places
2020
#44,611
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 518
+8 bearers (+1.6%)
Per 100,000 0.17
Rank movement Down 2,100 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #45,227 | 446 | 0.17 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #42,511 | 510 | 0.17 | +64 bearers (+14.3%) | Up 2,716 places |
| 2020 | #44,611 | 518 | 0.17 | +8 bearers (+1.6%) | Down 2,100 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 Valliant 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 | #42,511 | #44,611 | -4.9% |
| Count | 510 | 518 | 1.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.17 | 0.17 | 1.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Valliant bearers went from 510 to 518 (+1.6% change). The surname moved down 2,100 positions in the national ranking, going from #42,511 to #44,611.
FAQ
Valliant surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Valliant?
Name Census estimates that about 594 living Americans carry the surname Valliant. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 577,028 residents.
How common is Valliant?
Valliant ranks #44,611 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.17 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 518 people with the surname Valliant. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (594), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.17 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.17 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 Valliant.
Has Valliant become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Valliant went from 510 recorded bearers to 518. That is an increase of 8 (+1.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #42,511 to #44,611.
What does the Census say about the background of Valliant?
Among Census respondents with the surname Valliant, the largest self-reported group is White at 63.7%. The next largest groups are Black (25.9%) and Two or More Races (6.0%). 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 Valliant in the 2020 Census, accounting for 63.7% (330 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Valliant appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (63.7%), Black (25.9%), Two or More Races (6.0%). 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 Valliant (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 Valliant mean?
A French surname derived from the Latin word "valens", meaning strong or brave. 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 Valliant (0.17 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 common is the surname Valliant?
If you just want to know how many people have the surname Valliant, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.