2000
#143,847
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Varnau
A locational surname referring to someone from a place called Varnau.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 140 Americans carry the last name Varnau. 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 Varnau 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 Varnau 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 Varnau, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.1%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Varnau
The surname Varnau is of German origin, with its roots tracing back to the 15th century. It is believed to have originated from the town of Varnau, located in the region of Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. The name itself is derived from the Old German words "varn" and "au," which translate to "fern" and "meadow" respectively, suggesting that the name may have been given to individuals who resided near a fern-covered meadow.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Varnau can be found in the Kirchenbücher (church records) of Saxony-Anhalt, where a Johann Varnau was mentioned in the year 1492. These church records often served as crucial sources for tracking the lineage and migration patterns of families during that time period.
Throughout the 16th and 17th centuries, the name Varnau gradually spread across various regions of Germany, with some families adopting slight variations in spelling, such as Varnow or Varnauwe. In 1624, a document from the city of Leipzig mentioned a merchant named Hans Varnau, indicating that individuals with this surname had begun to establish themselves in urban centers.
One notable figure bearing the surname Varnau was Wilhelm Varnau (1683-1751), a renowned theologian and philosopher from the town of Bautzen, Saxony. His works on religious studies and ethics were widely acclaimed during his lifetime and contributed to the intellectual discourse of the era.
Another individual of historical significance was Anna Varnau (1748-1822), a skilled weaver and textile artist from the town of Zittau, Saxony. Her intricate tapestries and embroideries were highly sought after by the nobility, and some of her works are still preserved in museums today.
In the 19th century, the Varnau family had also established a presence in the literary world. Ernst Varnau (1819-1879), a poet and writer from Leipzig, gained recognition for his romantic poetry and novels, which captured the essence of German culture and traditions.
The surname Varnau continued to appear in various historical records, such as birth, marriage, and death registers, throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries, highlighting the family's enduring presence across different regions of Germany.
It is worth noting that while the surname Varnau is predominantly of German origin, some individuals bearing this name may have migrated to other countries over the centuries, potentially leading to variations in spelling and pronunciation.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Varnau
Among Census respondents with the surname Varnau, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.1%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Varnau 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 Varnau surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.3% · 115
- Hispanic or Latino4.1% · 5
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 1
- Two or more races0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Varnau
Varnau 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
#139,228
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
+14 bearers (+13.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 4,619 places
2020
#140,525
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 122
+2 bearers (+1.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 1,297 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #143,847 | 106 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #139,228 | 120 | 0.04 | +14 bearers (+13.2%) | Up 4,619 places |
| 2020 | #140,525 | 122 | 0.04 | +2 bearers (+1.7%) | Down 1,297 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 Varnau 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 | #139,228 | #140,525 | -0.9% |
| Count | 120 | 122 | 1.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 2.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Varnau bearers went from 120 to 122 (+1.7% change). The surname moved down 1,297 positions in the national ranking, going from #139,228 to #140,525.
FAQ
Varnau surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Varnau?
Name Census estimates that about 140 living Americans carry the surname Varnau. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,448,245 residents.
How common is Varnau?
Varnau 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 Varnau. 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 Varnau.
Has Varnau become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Varnau went from 120 recorded bearers to 122. That is an increase of 2 (+1.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #139,228 to #140,525.
What does the Census say about the background of Varnau?
Among Census respondents with the surname Varnau, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.1%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.8%). 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 Varnau in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.3% (115 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Varnau appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.3%), Hispanic (4.1%), American Indian/Alaska Native (0.8%). 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 Varnau (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 Varnau mean?
A locational surname referring to someone from a place called Varnau. 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 Varnau (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 common is the surname Varnau?
See how many people have the surname Varnau on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.