2000
#148,244
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Vaters
An old German surname derived from the given name "Walter".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 116 Americans carry the last name Vaters. That puts it at #155,270 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,954,779 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Vaters 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
116
1 in 2,954,779
Census rank
#155,270
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
101
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 101 bearers of the surname Vaters in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 155270th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Vaters, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.0%) and Two or More Races (3.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Vaters
The surname Vaters is believed to have originated in Germany during the medieval period, likely emerging as an occupational name for someone who worked as a maker or seller of vats or large barrels used for storing liquids like wine or beer. The name is derived from the Middle High German word "vater," meaning "vat" or "cask."
In its earliest recorded forms, the name appeared as variations such as "Vatner," "Vatener," and "Vatermann" in various historical documents and records from German-speaking regions. One of the earliest known references to the name can be found in a 14th-century census record from the city of Nuremberg, where a certain "Hans Vatner" was listed as a resident.
As with many occupational surnames, the Vaters name may have initially referred to a specific individual who was known for their trade as a vat maker or seller. Over time, the name would have been passed down from generation to generation, gradually losing its direct occupational association but retaining its distinctive form.
One notable historical figure bearing the Vaters surname was Johann Vaters (1597-1672), a German theologian and author who served as a professor at the University of Helmstedt in Lower Saxony. His writings on theology and philosophy were influential during his time.
Another individual of note was Friedrich Vaters (1744-1826), a German philologist and linguist who made significant contributions to the study of comparative linguistics and the origins of various languages. He was a member of the Prussian Academy of Sciences and published several influential works on linguistic theory.
In the realm of art, there was the German painter and engraver Jakob Vaters (1714-1774), who was known for his religious paintings and portraiture. His works can be found in various churches and collections throughout Germany and other parts of Europe.
Moving to the 19th century, there was the German-American author and journalist Karl Vaters (1835-1905), who emigrated to the United States and became a prominent figure in the German-American community. He founded several German-language newspapers and was an advocate for the preservation of German culture and language in America.
Lastly, one cannot overlook the contributions of Matthias Vaters (1900-1982), a German-born American architect who played a significant role in the development of modernist architecture in the United States. Some of his notable works include the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden in Washington, D.C., and the Phillips Collection in Washington, D.C.
These are just a few examples of individuals throughout history who have borne the surname Vaters, each leaving their mark in various fields and contributing to the rich tapestry of the name's legacy.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Vaters
Among Census respondents with the surname Vaters, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.0%) and Two or More Races (3.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Vaters 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 Vaters surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.1% · 93
- Hispanic or Latino5.0% · 5
- Two or more races3.0% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Vaters
Vaters 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
#148,347
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
+9 bearers (+8.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 103 places
2020
#155,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101
-10 bearers (-9.0%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 6,923 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #148,244 | 102 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #148,347 | 111 | 0.04 | +9 bearers (+8.8%) | Down 103 places |
| 2020 | #155,270 | 101 | 0.03 | -10 bearers (-9.0%) | Down 6,923 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 Vaters 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 | #148,347 | #155,270 | -4.7% |
| Count | 111 | 101 | -9.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -15.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Vaters bearers went from 111 to 101 (-9.0% change). The surname moved down 6,923 positions in the national ranking, going from #148,347 to #155,270.
FAQ
Vaters surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Vaters?
Name Census estimates that about 116 living Americans carry the surname Vaters. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,954,779 residents.
How common is Vaters?
Vaters ranks #155,270 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 101 people with the surname Vaters. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (116), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Vaters.
Has Vaters become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Vaters went from 111 recorded bearers to 101. That is a decrease of 10 (-9.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #148,347 to #155,270.
What does the Census say about the background of Vaters?
Among Census respondents with the surname Vaters, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.0%) and Two or More Races (3.0%). 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 Vaters in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.1% (93 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Vaters appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.1%), Hispanic (5.0%), Two or More Races (3.0%). 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 Vaters (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 Vaters mean?
An old German surname derived from the given name "Walter". 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 Vaters (0.03 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 Vaters?
You can see how common the surname Vaters is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.