2000
#57,090
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 334
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.12
Very Rare Last name
Varda
A surname derived from the Greek word meaning "enclosure" or "protected place".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 452 Americans carry the last name Varda. That puts it at #56,084 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.13 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 758,306 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Varda 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
452
1 in 758,306
Census rank
#56,084
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
394
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 394 bearers of the surname Varda in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.13 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 56084th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Varda, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.3%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (4.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Varda
The surname Varda is of Hungarian origin, with roots dating back to the Middle Ages. It is believed to have derived from the Hungarian word "vár," which translates to "castle" or "fortress." This name was likely given to individuals who lived near or worked in a castle during that time period.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Varda can be found in a 14th-century manuscript from the region of Transylvania, which was then part of the Kingdom of Hungary. The document mentions a certain Mihály Varda, a landowner who possessed a small estate near the town of Brașov.
In the 16th century, the name appears in the records of the city of Budapest, where a merchant named István Varda was documented as a prominent figure in the local trade guild. This suggests that the name had spread beyond its original rural roots and was being adopted by urban dwellers as well.
During the 17th century, the Varda family established itself as a noble lineage in the region of Somogy. One notable member was Miklós Varda, born in 1621, who served as a military officer in the Hungarian army during the Ottoman-Hungarian wars. His bravery and leadership earned him the title of Baron, which was passed down to his descendants.
In the 19th century, a renowned Hungarian poet and translator named Károly Varda (1818-1886) gained recognition for his works. He was particularly celebrated for his translations of Shakespeare's plays into the Hungarian language, which helped to popularize the Bard's works among the Hungarian literary circles of the time.
Another notable figure bearing the Varda surname was Pál Varda (1876-1964), a prominent architect who was instrumental in the design and construction of several iconic buildings in Budapest, including the Hungarian Parliament Building and the Buda Castle. His works are considered significant contributions to the architectural heritage of Hungary.
While the surname Varda has its origins in Hungary, it has since spread to other regions and countries, particularly due to emigration and migration patterns. However, its roots can be traced back to the historical regions of the former Kingdom of Hungary, where it was first established as a prominent family name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Varda
Among Census respondents with the surname Varda, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.3%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (4.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Varda 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 Varda surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White86.0% · 339
- Hispanic or Latino5.3% · 21
- Asian and Pacific Islander4.1% · 16
- Two or more races2.5% · 10
- Black or African American1.5% · 6
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Varda
Varda 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
#54,752
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 376
+42 bearers (+12.6%)
Per 100,000 0.13
Rank movement Up 2,338 places
2020
#56,084
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 394
+18 bearers (+4.8%)
Per 100,000 0.13
Rank movement Down 1,332 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #57,090 | 334 | 0.12 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #54,752 | 376 | 0.13 | +42 bearers (+12.6%) | Up 2,338 places |
| 2020 | #56,084 | 394 | 0.13 | +18 bearers (+4.8%) | Down 1,332 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 Varda 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 | #54,752 | #56,084 | -2.4% |
| Count | 376 | 394 | 4.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.13 | 0.13 | 1.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Varda bearers went from 376 to 394 (+4.8% change). The surname moved down 1,332 positions in the national ranking, going from #54,752 to #56,084.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Varda
FAQ
Varda surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Varda?
Name Census estimates that about 452 living Americans carry the surname Varda. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 758,306 residents.
How common is Varda?
Varda ranks #56,084 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.13 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 394 people with the surname Varda. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (452), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.13 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.13 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 Varda.
Has Varda become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Varda went from 376 recorded bearers to 394. That is an increase of 18 (+4.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #54,752 to #56,084.
What does the Census say about the background of Varda?
Among Census respondents with the surname Varda, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.3%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (4.1%). 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 Varda in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.0% (339 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Varda appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (86.0%), Hispanic (5.3%), Asian/Pacific Islander (4.1%). 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 Varda (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 Varda mean?
A surname derived from the Greek word meaning "enclosure" or "protected place". 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 Varda (0.13 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 Varda?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.