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

Vaughns, 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 Vaughns surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Vaughns in America

Vaughns is the 25989th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Vaughns surname appeared 944 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 Vaughns.

We can also compare 2010 data for Vaughns 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 Vaughns

The surname Vaughns has its origins in the Welsh language and culture, dating back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Welsh word "bychan," which means "little" or "small." The name was initially used as a descriptive nickname for someone of small stature or possibly a younger son in a family.

In its earliest forms, the surname was spelled in various ways, including Vaughan, Vaughn, and Vaghan. These variations were common due to the lack of standardized spelling during the Middle Ages. The name can be traced to different regions of Wales, particularly in the counties of Breconshire, Carmarthenshire, and Monmouthshire.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Vaughns appears in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from the year 1208, where a certain Roger Vaghan is mentioned. Another notable early reference is found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which list several individuals bearing the name Vaughan or Vaghan as pledging allegiance to King Edward I of England.

In the 14th century, the Vaughns family established themselves as notable landowners and influential figures in Wales. Sir Roger Vaughan of Tretower (c. 1330-1392) was a prominent Welsh soldier and landowner who served under Edward, the Black Prince, during the Hundred Years' War.

Another notable figure was Sir Walter Vaughan (c. 1430-1490), who was a Welsh soldier and diplomat during the Wars of the Roses. He served under Edward IV and later became the Chief Justice of South Wales.

During the Tudor period, the Vaughns family continued to hold significant positions and influence. Sir Henry Vaughan (c. 1495-1536) was a Welsh diplomat and served as the ambassador to France under Henry VIII.

In the literary world, Henry Vaughan (1621-1695) was a renowned Welsh metaphysical poet and author, often considered one of the most significant poets of the 17th century.

Sir John Vaughan (1603-1674) was an English lawyer and judge who served as the Chief Justice of the Common Pleas during the reign of Charles II.

Over time, the surname Vaughns spread beyond Wales and became established in various parts of England and later in other English-speaking countries, including the United States and Canada, where it remains a prominent surname today.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Vaughns

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

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

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

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