2000
#57,985
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 328
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.12
Very Rare Last name
Vasilakis
A Greek surname referring to a person of small or diminutive stature.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 401 Americans carry the last name Vasilakis. That puts it at #61,890 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.12 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 854,749 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Vasilakis 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
401
1 in 854,749
Census rank
#61,890
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
350
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 350 bearers of the surname Vasilakis in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.12 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 61890th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Vasilakis, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.3%) and Two or More Races (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Vasilakis
Among Census respondents with the surname Vasilakis, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.3%) and Two or More Races (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Vasilakis 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 Vasilakis surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.3% · 316
- Hispanic or Latino8.3% · 29
- Two or more races0.9% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.3% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Vasilakis
Vasilakis 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
#56,836
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 359
+31 bearers (+9.5%)
Per 100,000 0.12
Rank movement Up 1,149 places
2020
#61,890
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 350
-9 bearers (-2.5%)
Per 100,000 0.12
Rank movement Down 5,054 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #57,985 | 328 | 0.12 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #56,836 | 359 | 0.12 | +31 bearers (+9.5%) | Up 1,149 places |
| 2020 | #61,890 | 350 | 0.12 | -9 bearers (-2.5%) | Down 5,054 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 Vasilakis 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 | #56,836 | #61,890 | -8.9% |
| Count | 359 | 350 | -2.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.12 | 0.12 | -2.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Vasilakis bearers went from 359 to 350 (-2.5% change). The surname moved down 5,054 positions in the national ranking, going from #56,836 to #61,890.
FAQ
Vasilakis surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Vasilakis?
Name Census estimates that about 401 living Americans carry the surname Vasilakis. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 854,749 residents.
How common is Vasilakis?
Vasilakis ranks #61,890 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.12 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 350 people with the surname Vasilakis. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (401), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.12 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.12 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 Vasilakis.
Has Vasilakis become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Vasilakis went from 359 recorded bearers to 350. That is a decrease of 9 (-2.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #56,836 to #61,890.
What does the Census say about the background of Vasilakis?
Among Census respondents with the surname Vasilakis, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.3%) and Two or More Races (0.9%). 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 Vasilakis in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.3% (316 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Vasilakis appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.3%), Hispanic (8.3%), Two or More Races (0.9%). 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 Vasilakis (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 Vasilakis mean?
A Greek surname referring to a person of small or diminutive stature. 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 Vasilakis (0.12 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 are called Vasilakis?
Find out how many people are called Vasilakis on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.