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

Vasilakis, 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 Vasilakis surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Vasilakis in America

Vasilakis is the 56836th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Vasilakis surname appeared 359 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 Vasilakis.

We can also compare 2010 data for Vasilakis 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.

The history of the last name Vasilakis

The surname Vasilakis originates from Greece and is believed to have emerged in the late Byzantine period, around the 14th or 15th century. It is derived from the Greek name "Basileios," which means "kingly" or "royal," and the diminutive suffix "-akis," indicating a small or affectionate form.

Vasilakis was likely initially used as a patronymic name, referring to the son of a man named Basileios or a variant thereof. It may have been adopted by families living in regions where Greek was spoken or influenced, such as parts of modern-day Greece, Cyprus, and areas of the former Byzantine Empire.

One of the earliest known references to the name Vasilakis can be found in a manuscript from the 16th century, documenting a merchant named Konstantinos Vasilakis who traded goods between Greek and Italian cities. Another record from the 17th century mentions a scholar named Georgios Vasilakis, who authored works on theology and philosophy.

In the 18th century, the name appears in records from the Greek island of Crete, where a prominent family named Vasilakis owned land and played a role in local politics. One notable member was Ioannis Vasilakis (1720-1795), a landowner and advocate for the rights of the Greek population under Venetian rule.

During the Greek War of Independence (1821-1832), several individuals with the surname Vasilakis were involved in the struggle against Ottoman rule. This includes Konstantinos Vasilakis (1795-1867), a military officer who fought in several battles, and Eleni Vasilakis (1800-1880), a woman renowned for her bravery and support of the revolutionary cause.

In the 19th and early 20th centuries, the name Vasilakis can be found among Greek immigrants to various parts of the world, including the United States, Australia, and other countries with significant Greek diaspora communities. One notable figure was Athanasios Vasilakis (1865-1940), a Greek-American businessman and philanthropist who supported educational initiatives in his homeland.

While the surname Vasilakis is not among the most common in Greece today, it remains a part of the country's rich onomastic heritage, reflecting the linguistic and cultural influence of the Byzantine era and the Greek diaspora's global reach.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Vasilakis

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

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 Vasilakis was:

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

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

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

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