2000
#3,627
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,004
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.34
Uncommon Last name
Vaught
Derived from the Dutch surname "de Vocht," meaning "from the moist or damp place."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 10,051 Americans carry the last name Vaught. That puts it at #3,931 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.93 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 34,102 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Vaught 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
10K
1 in 34,102
Census rank
#3,931
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
8.8K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 8,765 bearers of the surname Vaught in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.93 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3931st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Vaught, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.4%. The next largest groups are Black (6.8%) and Two or More Races (4.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Vaught
The surname Vaught is believed to have originated in England, with roots tracing back to the Anglo-Saxon era. It is thought to be derived from the Old English word "fah," meaning "variegated" or "multi-colored," and may have been used to describe someone with unusual hair or complexion coloring.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Vaught can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Fauht." This suggests that the name was already in use during the 11th century, though its spelling and pronunciation likely evolved over time.
In the 13th century, the surname Vaught appeared in various medieval records, often spelled as "Vought" or "Vowght." This variation in spelling was common during this period, as standardized spelling conventions had not yet been established.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Vaught surname became more prevalent in certain regions of England, particularly in the counties of Sussex and Kent. Several notable individuals bore this surname during this time, including John Vaught (1555-1631), a wealthy merchant and landowner in the city of Canterbury.
As the British Empire expanded in the 18th and 19th centuries, many individuals with the surname Vaught ventured to other parts of the world, including North America and Australia. One such individual was William Vaught (1780-1856), who emigrated from England to the United States in the early 1800s and settled in Ohio, where he became a prosperous farmer.
Other notable individuals with the surname Vaught include Robert Vaught (1892-1967), an American football player and coach who played for the University of Illinois and later coached at the University of Texas; and Beverly Vaught (1924-2008), an American actress best known for her roles in several Western films during the 1940s and 1950s.
Throughout its history, the surname Vaught has maintained a relatively consistent spelling, though variations such as "Vought" and "Vaut" have been documented. Regardless of its spelling, the name continues to be associated with its Anglo-Saxon roots and its connection to the idea of unique or distinctive coloring.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Vaught
Among Census respondents with the surname Vaught, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.4%. The next largest groups are Black (6.8%) and Two or More Races (4.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Vaught 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 Vaught surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White84.4% · 7,399
- Black or African American6.8% · 592
- Two or more races4.9% · 429
- Hispanic or Latino2.6% · 228
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 62
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 55
Timeline
Historical Census data for Vaught
Vaught 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
#3,738
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,476
+472 bearers (+5.2%)
Per 100,000 3.21
Rank movement Down 111 places
2020
#3,931
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,765
-711 bearers (-7.5%)
Per 100,000 2.93
Rank movement Down 193 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,627 | 9,004 | 3.34 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,738 | 9,476 | 3.21 | +472 bearers (+5.2%) | Down 111 places |
| 2020 | #3,931 | 8,765 | 2.93 | -711 bearers (-7.5%) | Down 193 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 Vaught 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 | #3,738 | #3,931 | -5.2% |
| Count | 9,476 | 8,765 | -7.5% |
| Per 100K | 3.21 | 2.93 | -8.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Vaught bearers went from 9,476 to 8,765 (-7.5% change). The surname moved down 193 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,738 to #3,931.
FAQ
Vaught surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Vaught?
Name Census estimates that about 10,051 living Americans carry the surname Vaught. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 34,102 residents.
How common is Vaught?
Vaught ranks #3,931 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.93 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 8,765 people with the surname Vaught. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (10,051), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.93 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.93 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Vaught.
Has Vaught become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Vaught went from 9,476 recorded bearers to 8,765. That is a decrease of 711 (-7.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #3,738 to #3,931.
What does the Census say about the background of Vaught?
Among Census respondents with the surname Vaught, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.4%. The next largest groups are Black (6.8%) and Two or More Races (4.9%). 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 Vaught in the 2020 Census, accounting for 84.4% (7,399 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Vaught appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (84.4%), Black (6.8%), Two or More Races (4.9%). 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 Vaught (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 Vaught mean?
Derived from the Dutch surname "de Vocht," meaning "from the moist or damp place." 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 Vaught (2.93 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 Vaught?
You can see how many Americans have the surname Vaught on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.