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

Veal, 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 Veal surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Veal in America

Veal is the 4519th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Veal surname appeared 7,842 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Veal.

We can also compare 2010 data for Veal 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 Veal

The surname Veal is an English occupational name derived from the Old French word "veel" or "vel," meaning a calf or veal. The name originated in medieval England, likely referring to someone who raised or sold calves and veal.

The first recorded instances of the Veal surname can be traced back to the late 13th century in various parts of England, such as Essex, Oxfordshire, and Lincolnshire. The name appeared in various spellings, including Veel, Veale, and Veyel, reflecting the regional variations in pronunciation and spelling at the time.

One of the earliest documented references to the Veal surname can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Staffordshire in 1290, where a William Veel is mentioned. Another early record is from the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire in 1279, which lists a John Veel.

In the 14th century, the Veal surname appeared in several historical records, such as the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1327, where a Roger Veel is listed, and the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield in Yorkshire in 1317, which mentions a Robert Veel.

Notable individuals with the Veal surname throughout history include Sir Benjamin Veal (1588-1668), an English politician and Member of Parliament for Lostwithiel in Cornwall during the 17th century. Another prominent figure was Thomas Veal (1670-1737), an English clergyman and author who served as the Rector of Worlington in Suffolk.

In the 18th century, John Veal (1736-1813) was a British naval officer who served in the Royal Navy during the American Revolutionary War and the French Revolutionary Wars. He achieved the rank of Admiral and played a significant role in several naval engagements.

Moving into the 19th century, Charles Veal (1818-1895) was an English cricketer who played first-class cricket for Kent County Cricket Club. He was known for his batting prowess and scored over 6,000 runs in his career.

Another notable figure with the Veal surname was Florence Veal (1868-1932), an American journalist and writer who was a prominent advocate for women's rights and suffrage in the early 20th century.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Veal

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

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

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

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