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

Vaughn, 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 Vaughn surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Vaughn in America

Vaughn is the 356th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Vaughn surname appeared 88,060 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 30 people would have the surname Vaughn.

We can also compare 2010 data for Vaughn 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 Vaughn

The surname Vaughn has its origins in Wales, with roots tracing back to the early medieval period. It is derived from the Welsh personal name "Vaughan," a variant of the name "Bychan," meaning "small" or "little." This name was initially adopted as a descriptive nickname for someone of diminutive stature.

Vaughn is believed to have emerged as a distinct surname in the 13th century, with early recorded instances appearing in Welsh records and manuscripts. One notable reference is found in the Cydrychau Enwau Lleoedd, a collection of Welsh place names, where the name is spelled "Vychan."

The earliest recorded bearer of the surname Vaughn is Rhys Vychan, a Welsh landowner who lived in the late 13th century. Another early figure was Sir Roger Vaughan (c. 1360-1415), a Welsh soldier and military commander who served under King Henry V of England during the Hundred Years' War.

In the 16th century, the surname Vaughn gained prominence with the exploits of Sir Walter Vaughan (c. 1510-1598), a Welsh courtier and Member of Parliament during the reigns of Henry VIII, Edward VI, and Elizabeth I. His son, Sir John Vaughan (1572-1634), was an influential lawyer and Chief Justice of the Court of Common Pleas in England.

Other notable individuals with the surname Vaughn include Henry Vaughan (1621-1695), a Welsh metaphysical poet and Anglican priest known for his religious poetry. Sir William Vaughan (1677-1718) was a Welsh-born merchant and colonial administrator who served as the Governor of the British colonies of Carolina and East New Jersey in the early 18th century.

The surname Vaughn has also been associated with various place names in Wales, such as Vaughan's Field and Vaughan's Wood, which likely derived from individuals or families bearing this name who once inhabited or owned land in those areas.

Throughout history, the surname Vaughn has undergone various spelling variations, including Vaughan, Vaughen, Vaughn, and Vaughon, reflecting the evolution of language and regional dialects over time.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Vaughn

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

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

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

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