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

Vance, 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 Vance surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Vance in America

Vance is the 737th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Vance surname appeared 47,324 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 16 people would have the surname Vance.

We can also compare 2010 data for Vance 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 Vance

The surname Vance is of Norman-French origin and is derived from the Old French word "avanc," meaning "advancement" or "progress." It is believed to have originated in the 11th century during the Norman Conquest of England.

The name Vance is thought to have been first used as a descriptive surname, given to individuals who were considered progressive or ambitious in their pursuits. It may have been bestowed upon soldiers or nobles who distinguished themselves in battle or who advanced their status through their actions.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Vance can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of land ownership commissioned by William the Conqueror. In this document, the name appears as "de Avanc," indicating its Norman-French roots.

During the Middle Ages, the name Vance began to spread across various regions of England, with several notable individuals bearing the name. One such person was Sir Henry de Vance, a knight who fought alongside King Edward III during the Hundred Years' War in the 14th century.

In Scotland, the Vance family established itself in the Borders region, where they held lands and played a prominent role in local affairs. One of the earliest recorded Scottish Vances was John Vance, who was granted lands in Dumfriesshire in the 16th century.

Another notable figure with the surname Vance was Sir John Vance, an Irish soldier and landowner who served as Governor of Londonderry during the 17th century. His descendants would go on to become influential members of the Anglo-Irish gentry in Ulster.

In the United States, the Vance family has a long and distinguished history, with several prominent individuals bearing the name. One of the earliest was David Vance, a Revolutionary War soldier from Pennsylvania who fought at the Battle of Trenton in 1776.

Other notable Vances include Zebulon Baird Vance, who served as Governor of North Carolina during the American Civil War, and Cyrus Roberts Vance, who served as Secretary of State under President Jimmy Carter in the late 1970s.

Throughout its history, the surname Vance has been associated with a sense of ambition, progress, and advancement, reflecting its Norman-French roots and the accomplishments of those who have borne the name over the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Vance

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

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

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

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