2000
#26,239
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 876
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.32
Very Rare Last name
Vath
A surname derived from the Old Norse word for "wanderer" or "traveler."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 994 Americans carry the last name Vath. That puts it at #29,114 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.29 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 344,823 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Vath 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
994
1 in 344,823
Census rank
#29,114
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
867
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 867 bearers of the surname Vath in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.29 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 29114th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Vath, the largest self-reported group is White at 69.6%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (20.6%) and Hispanic (6.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Vath
The surname VATH originated in northern Germany, particularly in the region of Lower Saxony, during the Middle Ages. It is believed to be derived from the Old German word "vath," which means "barrel" or "cask." This suggests that the name may have been initially associated with barrel makers or those involved in the production or transportation of barrels.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name VATH can be found in the Bremisches Urkundenbuch, a collection of historical documents from the city of Bremen, dating back to the 13th century. In these records, a certain "Henricus Vath" is mentioned as a landowner in the year 1276.
During the 14th century, the VATH name appeared in several other historical documents throughout northern Germany, including the chronicles of the city of Lübeck. In these records, the name was sometimes spelled as "Vat" or "Vatte," reflecting the variations in spelling that were common during that time.
One notable figure bearing the VATH surname was Johann Vath, a prominent merchant and member of the city council in Lübeck during the late 15th century. He played a significant role in the city's trade and economic affairs, and his legacy is well-documented in the city's archives.
In the 16th century, the VATH name was also associated with several scholars and intellectuals. One such individual was Andreas Vath, a theologian and professor at the University of Wittenberg, who was born in 1516 and died in 1582. He was a contemporary of Martin Luther and contributed to the Protestant Reformation through his writings and teachings.
Another notable VATH was Hans Vath, a renowned artist and engraver from Nuremberg, who lived from 1539 to 1610. His intricate woodcuts and engravings depicting biblical scenes and allegorical subjects were highly prized during the Renaissance period.
In the 17th century, the VATH name gained prominence in the field of medicine. Heinrich Vath, born in 1620 in Hamburg, was a respected physician and author of several medical treatises on diseases and remedies. His works were widely circulated and influential in his time.
As the centuries progressed, the VATH surname spread beyond northern Germany to other regions of the country and eventually to other parts of Europe and the world, carried by families and individuals who migrated or established themselves in new territories.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Vath
Among Census respondents with the surname Vath, the largest self-reported group is White at 69.6%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (20.6%) and Hispanic (6.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Vath 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 Vath surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White69.6% · 603
- Asian and Pacific Islander20.6% · 179
- Hispanic or Latino6.3% · 55
- Two or more races3.3% · 29
- Black or African American0.1% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Vath
Vath 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
#25,865
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 951
+75 bearers (+8.6%)
Per 100,000 0.32
Rank movement Up 374 places
2020
#29,114
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 867
-84 bearers (-8.8%)
Per 100,000 0.29
Rank movement Down 3,249 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #26,239 | 876 | 0.32 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #25,865 | 951 | 0.32 | +75 bearers (+8.6%) | Up 374 places |
| 2020 | #29,114 | 867 | 0.29 | -84 bearers (-8.8%) | Down 3,249 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 Vath 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 | #25,865 | #29,114 | -12.6% |
| Count | 951 | 867 | -8.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.32 | 0.29 | -9.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Vath bearers went from 951 to 867 (-8.8% change). The surname moved down 3,249 positions in the national ranking, going from #25,865 to #29,114.
FAQ
Vath surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Vath?
Name Census estimates that about 994 living Americans carry the surname Vath. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 344,823 residents.
How common is Vath?
Vath ranks #29,114 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.29 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 867 people with the surname Vath. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (994), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.29 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.29 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 Vath.
Has Vath become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Vath went from 951 recorded bearers to 867. That is a decrease of 84 (-8.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #25,865 to #29,114.
What does the Census say about the background of Vath?
Among Census respondents with the surname Vath, the largest self-reported group is White at 69.6%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (20.6%) and Hispanic (6.3%). 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 Vath in the 2020 Census, accounting for 69.6% (603 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Vath appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (69.6%), Asian/Pacific Islander (20.6%), Hispanic (6.3%). 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 Vath (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 Vath mean?
A surname derived from the Old Norse word for "wanderer" or "traveler." 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 Vath (0.29 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 Vath?
See how many people have the last name Vath on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.