2000
#134,037
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Vanison
From the old French term meaning 'little John', a diminutive form of 'John'.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 140 Americans carry the last name Vanison. That puts it at #140,525 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,448,245 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Vanison 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
140
1 in 2,448,245
Census rank
#140,525
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
122
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 122 bearers of the surname Vanison in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 140525th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Vanison, the largest self-reported group is Black at 77.9%. The next largest groups are White (9.8%) and Two or More Races (9.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Vanison
The surname VANISON is of English origin and dates back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English words "fane" meaning a flag or standard, and "sun" meaning son, suggesting that the original bearer may have been the son of a standard-bearer or flag-bearer.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name VANISON can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Wiltshire, England from the year 1195, which mentions a Robert Vanison. This suggests that the name was already well-established by the late 12th century.
Another early reference to the name VANISON appears in the Feet of Fines for Oxfordshire in 1270, which records a land transaction involving a John Vanison. The Feet of Fines were records of land transfers and property disputes, providing valuable insights into the lives of medieval families.
During the Tudor period, a notable figure with the surname VANISON was Thomas Vanison (c. 1490-1557), who served as a Member of Parliament for Lewes, Sussex, in the reign of King Henry VIII. He was a prominent landowner and played an active role in local governance.
In the 17th century, a branch of the VANISON family settled in the county of Warwickshire, where they gained prominence as prosperous yeomen farmers. One of their descendants, William Vanison (1642-1712), was a respected figure in the community and served as a churchwarden for several years.
Another individual of note was Sarah Vanison (1720-1798), who was born in the village of Farnborough, Hampshire. She is recorded in the parish registers as having an exceptional longevity, living to the age of 98 years.
The VANISON surname has also been associated with various place names throughout England, such as Vanison Hill in Buckinghamshire and Vanison Wood in Oxfordshire, suggesting that branches of the family may have once held land or property in these areas.
While the VANISON name may not be among the most common surnames today, its origins can be traced back to the Middle Ages, reflecting the rich tapestry of English history and the diverse backgrounds of its people.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Vanison
Among Census respondents with the surname Vanison, the largest self-reported group is Black at 77.9%. The next largest groups are White (9.8%) and Two or More Races (9.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Vanison 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 Vanison surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American77.9% · 95
- White9.8% · 12
- Two or more races9.8% · 12
- Hispanic or Latino2.5% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Vanison
Vanison 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
#129,825
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 131
+15 bearers (+12.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 4,212 places
2020
#140,525
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 122
-9 bearers (-6.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 10,700 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #134,037 | 116 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #129,825 | 131 | 0.04 | +15 bearers (+12.9%) | Up 4,212 places |
| 2020 | #140,525 | 122 | 0.04 | -9 bearers (-6.9%) | Down 10,700 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 Vanison 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 | #129,825 | #140,525 | -8.2% |
| Count | 131 | 122 | -6.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 2.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Vanison bearers went from 131 to 122 (-6.9% change). The surname moved down 10,700 positions in the national ranking, going from #129,825 to #140,525.
FAQ
Vanison surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Vanison?
Name Census estimates that about 140 living Americans carry the surname Vanison. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,448,245 residents.
How common is Vanison?
Vanison ranks #140,525 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 122 people with the surname Vanison. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (140), 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 Vanison.
Has Vanison become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Vanison went from 131 recorded bearers to 122. That is a decrease of 9 (-6.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #129,825 to #140,525.
What does the Census say about the background of Vanison?
Among Census respondents with the surname Vanison, the largest self-reported group is Black at 77.9%. The next largest groups are White (9.8%) and Two or More Races (9.8%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Vanison in the 2020 Census, accounting for 77.9% (95 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Vanison appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (77.9%), White (9.8%), Two or More Races (9.8%). 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 Vanison (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 Vanison mean?
From the old French term meaning 'little John', a diminutive form of 'John'. 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 Vanison (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 Americans have the surname Vanison?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.