2010
#150,452
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Vean
A surname derived from an Old English word meaning "dweller in a fen or marsh".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 119 Americans carry the last name Vean. That puts it at #153,590 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,880,289 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Vean 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
119
1 in 2,880,289
Census rank
#153,590
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
104
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 104 bearers of the surname Vean in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 153590th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Vean, the largest self-reported group is Black at 60.6%. The next largest groups are White (19.2%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (9.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Vean
The surname Vean is believed to have originated in Devon, England in the 16th century. It is thought to be derived from the Old English word "fenn" or "fenne," meaning a marsh or a fen. This suggests that the name may have been given to someone who lived near a marshy area or a fen.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Vean can be found in the parish records of Stoke Fleming, Devon, where a John Vean was mentioned in 1592. The name also appears in the records of nearby parishes such as Blackawton and East Allington, indicating that the name was well-established in the area.
In the 17th century, the surname Vean was found in various spellings, including Veane, Veane, and Veine. These variations were likely due to the inconsistencies in spelling during that time period.
A notable individual with the surname Vean was Richard Vean, a merchant from Devon who lived in the late 17th century. He was involved in the trade of wool and cloth, and his name can be found in business records from that era.
Another person of note was Elizabeth Vean, who was born in 1712 in the village of Loddiswell, Devon. She married John Prowse, and their descendants continued to carry the Vean surname.
In the 18th century, the name Vean was also found in the nearby county of Cornwall. One example is William Vean, born in 1742 in the town of Calstock. He worked as a farmer and had several children, helping to spread the name in the region.
A significant figure in the 19th century was John Vean, born in 1823 in the parish of Stoke Fleming. He became a successful businessman and landowner, owning several properties in the area. His descendants continued to use the Vean surname well into the 20th century.
Another notable individual was Mary Ann Vean, born in 1856 in the village of Slapton, Devon. She was a teacher and played a significant role in the education of children in the local community.
While the surname Vean has its roots in the county of Devon, it has since spread to other parts of England and beyond. However, it remains a relatively uncommon name, with its origins firmly rooted in the marshy landscapes of the region where it originated.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Vean
Among Census respondents with the surname Vean, the largest self-reported group is Black at 60.6%. The next largest groups are White (19.2%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (9.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Vean 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 Vean surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American60.6% · 63
- White19.2% · 20
- Asian and Pacific Islander9.6% · 10
- Hispanic or Latino6.7% · 7
- Two or more races2.9% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Vean
Vean appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#153,590
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
-5 bearers (-4.6%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 3,138 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #150,452 | 109 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #153,590 | 104 | 0.03 | -5 bearers (-4.6%) | Down 3,138 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 Vean 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 | #150,452 | #153,590 | -2.1% |
| Count | 109 | 104 | -4.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -13.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Vean bearers went from 109 to 104 (-4.6% change). The surname moved down 3,138 positions in the national ranking, going from #150,452 to #153,590.
FAQ
Vean surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Vean?
Name Census estimates that about 119 living Americans carry the surname Vean. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,880,289 residents.
How common is Vean?
Vean ranks #153,590 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 104 people with the surname Vean. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (119), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Vean.
Has Vean become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Vean went from 109 recorded bearers to 104. That is a decrease of 5 (-4.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #150,452 to #153,590.
What does the Census say about the background of Vean?
Among Census respondents with the surname Vean, the largest self-reported group is Black at 60.6%. The next largest groups are White (19.2%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (9.6%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Vean in the 2020 Census, accounting for 60.6% (63 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Vean appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (60.6%), White (19.2%), Asian/Pacific Islander (9.6%). 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 Vean (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 Vean mean?
A surname derived from an Old English word meaning "dweller in a fen or marsh". 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 Vean (0.03 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 Americans have the surname Vean?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.