2010
#147,253
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Valnes
A locational surname derived from a place name meaning "valley dwellers".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 125 Americans carry the last name Valnes. That puts it at #150,205 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,742,035 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Valnes 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
125
1 in 2,742,035
Census rank
#150,205
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
109
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 109 bearers of the surname Valnes in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150205th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Valnes, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Valnes
The surname Valnes has its origins in Norway, with records of the name dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old Norse word "valnir," meaning "the slain in battle," or "fallen warriors." This suggests that the name may have been given to someone who was a brave and valiant warrior, or to someone who lived near a place where a significant battle had taken place.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Valnes can be found in the Icelandic Sagas, which are a collection of historical and mythological texts written in the 13th and 14th centuries. These sagas often mention individuals with the name Valnes, indicating that it was a relatively common surname during that time period.
In the late 13th century, a man named Thorvald Valnes is mentioned in the Sturlunga Saga, which chronicles the lives of the Icelandic chieftains and their families. Thorvald was a respected landowner and farmer in the western region of Iceland.
Another notable bearer of the name Valnes was Eirik Valnes, a Norwegian explorer who is believed to have sailed to Greenland in the late 10th century. While little is known about his life, his journey is recorded in the Icelandic Annals, which were written in the early 13th century.
In the 16th century, a man named Olav Valnes was a prominent merchant and shipowner in the city of Bergen, Norway. He was known for his successful trading ventures and his involvement in local politics.
During the 17th century, the Valnes surname began to spread beyond Norway and Iceland. In 1683, a man named Hans Valnes was recorded as a resident of the Swedish colony of New Sweden, which is now part of Delaware in the United States.
As time passed, the Valnes surname continued to be used by individuals of Norwegian and Scandinavian descent, with various spellings and variations appearing in different regions and countries. While the name may not be as widespread as some other surnames, it remains a part of the rich cultural heritage of the Norse people and their descendants.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Valnes
Among Census respondents with the surname Valnes, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Valnes 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 Valnes surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.8% · 99
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.8% · 3
- Black or African American1.8% · 2
- Two or more races1.8% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Valnes
Valnes appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#150,205
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
-3 bearers (-2.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 2,952 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #147,253 | 112 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #150,205 | 109 | 0.04 | -3 bearers (-2.7%) | Down 2,952 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 Valnes 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 | #147,253 | #150,205 | -2.0% |
| Count | 112 | 109 | -2.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -8.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Valnes bearers went from 112 to 109 (-2.7% change). The surname moved down 2,952 positions in the national ranking, going from #147,253 to #150,205.
FAQ
Valnes surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Valnes?
Name Census estimates that about 125 living Americans carry the surname Valnes. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,742,035 residents.
How common is Valnes?
Valnes ranks #150,205 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 109 people with the surname Valnes. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (125), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Valnes.
Has Valnes become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Valnes went from 112 recorded bearers to 109. That is a decrease of 3 (-2.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #147,253 to #150,205.
What does the Census say about the background of Valnes?
Among Census respondents with the surname Valnes, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.8%). 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 Valnes in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.8% (99 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Valnes appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.8%), Hispanic (2.8%), Asian/Pacific Islander (2.8%). 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 Valnes (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 Valnes mean?
A locational surname derived from a place name meaning "valley dwellers". 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 Valnes (0.04 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 have the last name Valnes?
You can see how many Americans have the surname Valnes on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.