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

Vaux, 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 Vaux surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Vaux in America

Vaux is the 49636th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Vaux surname appeared 423 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 Vaux.

We can also compare 2010 data for Vaux 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 Vaux

The surname Vaux is of French origin, with roots dating back to the 11th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old French word "vaux," meaning "valley" or "vale." This suggests that the name may have referred to someone who lived or worked in a valley or lived near a particular valley, a common practice for the development of surnames during medieval times.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "de Vals." This entry refers to a landowner named Roger de Vals, who held lands in Buckinghamshire, England, after the Norman Conquest of 1066. The inclusion of the name in this important historical record indicates that the Vaux family had already established roots in England by the late 11th century.

During the Middle Ages, the name underwent various spelling variations, including Vaus, Vaus, Vausse, and Vaulx. These variations were common due to the lack of standardized spelling conventions at the time. One notable individual from this period was John de Vaux, a 13th-century English nobleman who served as Lord of Irthlingborough and Harrington in Northamptonshire.

In the 16th century, the Vaux family gained prominence in England with Sir Nicholas Vaux, born in 1460. He was a prominent courtier and politician who served as Lord Lieutenant of Northamptonshire and was a close ally of King Henry VIII. His son, Thomas Vaux, born in 1510, was a highly regarded poet and a member of the literary circle of Sir Thomas Wyatt.

Another notable figure with the surname Vaux was William Vaux, born in 1619, who was an English Benedictine monk and author. He played a significant role in the recusant movement, which sought to preserve the Catholic faith in England during the Reformation.

In the 18th century, the Vaux family had a strong presence in France, with Claude-Victor Vaux, born in 1760, being a prominent architect. He is best known for designing the Paris Stock Exchange building, which was completed in 1826.

Throughout history, the Vaux surname has been associated with various place names, such as Vaux-sur-Aure in Calvados, France, and Vaux-sur-Poligny in Jura, France. These place names further reinforce the connection between the surname and the concept of valleys or valleys in specific locations.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Vaux

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

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

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

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