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

Veatch, 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 Veatch surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Veatch in America

Veatch is the 14191st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Veatch surname appeared 2,116 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Veatch.

We can also compare 2010 data for Veatch 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 Veatch

The surname Veatch has its origins in Germany and dates back to the 16th century. It is believed to have originated from the German word "Veicht," which means "farmer" or "peasant." The name was likely first used to identify those who worked in agriculture or lived in rural areas.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Veatch surname can be found in the town records of Simmern, a small village in the Rhineland-Palatinate region of Germany. In 1562, a man named Hans Veicht was listed as a resident of the village, lending credence to the theory that the name originated in this area.

As migration patterns shifted throughout Europe, the Veatch name began to appear in other regions. In the late 17th century, a family bearing the surname Veatch settled in the town of Ayr, Scotland. This Scottish branch of the family likely adopted the anglicized spelling of "Veatch" to better assimilate into their new surroundings.

One notable figure in history who bore the Veatch surname was William Veatch (1789-1868), an American politician who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from Ohio. He was also a lawyer and a judge, and his legacy is remembered in the town of Veatchville, Kentucky, which was named in his honor.

Another prominent individual with the Veatch name was James Veatch (1819-1895), a pioneering American botanist and explorer. He is credited with discovering several new plant species during his expeditions through the American West, and his contributions to the field of botany are still recognized today.

In the realm of literature, the Veatch surname is represented by Arthur Veatch (1867-1937), an American author and educator. He wrote several books on philosophy and ethics, including "Decentralizing the Administration of Boston" and "Rational Self-Cultivation."

Moving into the 20th century, Robert Veatch (1939-2020) was a renowned American ethicist and bioethicist. He served as a professor at Georgetown University and wrote extensively on topics such as medical ethics, patient autonomy, and end-of-life decision-making. His works, including "A Theory of Medical Ethics" and "The Basics of Bioethics," have had a lasting impact on the field of bioethics.

Finally, one cannot overlook the contributions of Henry Veatch (1911-1999), an American philosopher and professor at Northwestern University. He specialized in the study of ancient Greek philosophy and was particularly renowned for his work on Aristotle. His book "Aristotle: A Contemporary Appreciation" is considered a seminal text in the field of Aristotelian studies.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Veatch

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

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

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

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