2000
#5,423
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,912
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.19
Rare Last name
Varga
A Hungarian occupational surname referring to a shoemaker, cobbler, or leather worker.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 7,073 Americans carry the last name Varga. That puts it at #5,453 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.06 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 48,460 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Varga 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Varga with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
7.1K
1 in 48,460
Census rank
#5,453
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
6.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 6,168 bearers of the surname Varga in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.06 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 5453rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Varga, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.8%) and Two or More Races (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Varga
The surname Varga originates from Hungary, and it can be traced back to the medieval period in the region. The name is believed to derive from the Hungarian word "varga," which means "shoemaker" or "cobbler." This occupation-based surname likely emerged as a way to identify individuals by their trade or profession.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Varga can be found in the Váradi Regestrum, a 13th-century document that contains legal records from the city of Várad (now Oradea, Romania). This document mentions several individuals with the surname Varga, indicating that the name was already in use during this period.
In the 15th century, the name Varga appeared in the Gesta Hungarorum, a medieval chronicle detailing the history of the Hungarian people. This work mentions a nobleman named Varga who played a role in the battles against the Ottoman Empire, suggesting that the name had gained prominence by this time.
Over the centuries, the surname Varga has been associated with several notable individuals. One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Mihály Varga (c. 1510-1572), a Hungarian Protestant reformer and theologian who played a significant role in the spread of Calvinism in the region.
Another prominent figure was Péter Varga (1763-1839), a Hungarian mathematician and engineer who made significant contributions to the field of geodesy. His work on surveying and mapping techniques was instrumental in the development of modern cartography.
In the 19th century, József Varga (1891-1965) was a Hungarian artist known for his expressive paintings and woodcuts. His works often depicted scenes from rural life and the struggles of the working class, reflecting the social and political climate of his time.
The 20th century saw the rise of Bálint Varga (1911-1996), a Hungarian writer and journalist who was renowned for his satirical works and criticism of the communist regime. His novels and essays provided a unique perspective on the turbulent political landscape of Hungary during this period.
In the realm of sports, László Varga (1924-2016) was a Hungarian water polo player who won three Olympic gold medals for his country. He was a member of the legendary Hungarian water polo team that dominated the sport in the 1950s and 1960s.
While the surname Varga has its roots in Hungary, it has since spread to other parts of the world due to migration and cultural exchange. Today, the name can be found among individuals of Hungarian descent in various countries, serving as a testament to the rich history and enduring legacy of this ancient surname.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Varga
Among Census respondents with the surname Varga, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.8%) and Two or More Races (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Varga 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 Varga surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White86.9% · 5,358
- Hispanic or Latino9.8% · 603
- Two or more races1.8% · 112
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.1% · 67
- Black or African American0.3% · 17
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 11
Timeline
Historical Census data for Varga
Varga 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
#5,608
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,201
+289 bearers (+4.9%)
Per 100,000 2.10
Rank movement Down 185 places
2020
#5,453
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,168
-33 bearers (-0.5%)
Per 100,000 2.06
Rank movement Up 155 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #5,423 | 5,912 | 2.19 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #5,608 | 6,201 | 2.10 | +289 bearers (+4.9%) | Down 185 places |
| 2020 | #5,453 | 6,168 | 2.06 | -33 bearers (-0.5%) | Up 155 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 Varga 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 | #5,608 | #5,453 | 2.8% |
| Count | 6,201 | 6,168 | -0.5% |
| Per 100K | 2.10 | 2.06 | -1.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Varga bearers went from 6,201 to 6,168 (-0.5% change). The surname moved up 155 positions in the national ranking, going from #5,608 to #5,453.
FAQ
Varga surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Varga?
Name Census estimates that about 7,073 living Americans carry the surname Varga. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 48,460 residents.
How common is Varga?
Varga ranks #5,453 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.06 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 6,168 people with the surname Varga. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (7,073), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.06 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.06 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Varga.
Has Varga become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Varga went from 6,201 recorded bearers to 6,168. That is a decrease of 33 (-0.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #5,608 to #5,453.
What does the Census say about the background of Varga?
Among Census respondents with the surname Varga, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.8%) and Two or More Races (1.8%). 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 Varga in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.9% (5,358 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Varga appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (86.9%), Hispanic (9.8%), Two or More Races (1.8%). 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 Varga (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 Varga mean?
A Hungarian occupational surname referring to a shoemaker, cobbler, or leather worker. 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 Varga (2.06 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 Varga?
Want to know how many Americans have the surname Varga? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.