Varian last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Varian

A surname derived from the Latin 'varius' meaning "varied" or "changeable".

Varian, 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 Varian surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Varian in America

Varian is the 32339th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Varian surname appeared 712 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Varian.

We can also compare 2010 data for Varian 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.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 32339 29099 10.55%
Count 712 767 -7.44%
Proportion per 100k 0.24 0.28 -15.38%

The history of the last name Varian

The surname Varian originates from England and dates back to the 13th century. It is derived from the Old French word "varian" or "varien," which means "variable" or "changeable." The name likely referred to someone with a changeable or fickle nature.

The earliest recorded mention of the Varian surname dates back to 1273 in the Hundred Rolls of Huntingdonshire, where it was spelled as "Varyand." In the 14th century, the name appeared in various forms such as "Varyaunt," "Varyant," and "Varyan" in various records across England.

One notable historical reference to the Varian surname is found in the 1379 Poll Tax Records of Yorkshire, where a person named Robert Varyant is listed. Another early record is from the 1455 Feudal Aids of Worcestershire, which mentions a John Varyan.

The name Varian has been linked to several place names in England, such as Varian's Farm in Leicestershire and Varian's Field in Warwickshire. These place names may have derived from the surname itself or vice versa.

Among the notable individuals with the surname Varian throughout history are:

  1. John Varian (c. 1580-1650), an English clergyman and author who wrote a treatise on the Book of Job.
  2. Isaac Varian (1744-1828), an American merchant and landowner who played a role in the American Revolutionary War.
  3. William Varian (1811-1892), an American businessman and politician who served as the Mayor of Brooklyn, New York.
  4. Ralph Varian (1892-1959), an American physicist and inventor known for developing the first practical high-frequency klystron tube.
  5. Dorothy Varian (1924-2011), an American mathematician and computer scientist who made significant contributions to the field of programming languages.

The Varian surname has a rich history spanning several centuries, with its origins rooted in medieval England. Despite its varied spellings and interpretations, the name has endured and continues to be associated with notable individuals across various fields.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Varian

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

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 Varian was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 88.34% 629
Non-Hispanic Black Only 0.70% 5
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only 4.92% 35
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.00% 0
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 2.39% 17
Hispanic Origin 3.65% 26

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 Varian has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 88.34% 92.83% -4.96%
Black 0.70% (S)% (S)%
Asian and Pacific Islander 4.92% 3.52% 33.18%
American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.00% (S)% (S)%
Two or More Races 2.39% 1.83% 26.54%
Hispanic 3.65% 1.69% 73.41%

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

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

Reference this page

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If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!

"Varian last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on December 26, 2024. http://namecensus.com/last-names/varian-surname-popularity/.

"Varian last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/varian-surname-popularity/. Accessed 26 December, 2024

Varian last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/varian-surname-popularity/.

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