2010
#148,347
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Vedra
A surname derived from a topographic name referring to someone who lived near a willowbed or willow thicket.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 134 Americans carry the last name Vedra. That puts it at #144,270 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,557,868 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Vedra 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
134
1 in 2,557,868
Census rank
#144,270
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
117
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 117 bearers of the surname Vedra in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 144270th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Vedra, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.2%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (6.0%) and Hispanic (5.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Vedra
The surname "VEDRA" can be traced back to its origins in the ancient Roman empire, where it is believed to have derived from the Latin word "veder," meaning "to see" or "to perceive." This name was likely given to individuals who worked as watchmen, sentries, or those with keen eyesight.
During the Middle Ages, the name "VEDRA" was found in various regions of Italy, particularly in the northern regions of Lombardy and Veneto. One of the earliest recorded instances of this surname dates back to the 13th century, when a nobleman named Giacomo Vedra was documented in a manuscript from the city of Verona.
In the 14th century, the name "VEDRA" appeared in several historical records, including a land deed from the city of Padua, where a certain Pietro Vedra was listed as a landowner. This suggests that the family had gained a certain level of prominence and wealth during that time.
As the name spread across Europe, variations in spelling began to emerge. In Spain, for instance, the surname was often written as "Vedra" or "Viedra," while in France, it took the form of "Védère" or "Védéra."
One notable figure bearing the surname "VEDRA" was Giovanni Battista Vedra, an Italian painter and architect who lived in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. He was renowned for his frescoes and architectural designs, particularly in the city of Milan.
Another prominent individual with this surname was Lucrezia Vedra, an Italian noblewoman who lived in the 17th century. She was known for her patronage of the arts and her support of various charitable organizations in her hometown of Venice.
In the 18th century, the name "VEDRA" appeared in several genealogical records from the German states, indicating that the name had spread to central Europe. One such record mentions a Johann Vedra, a merchant from the city of Nuremberg, who was born in 1732.
Moving into the 19th century, the surname "VEDRA" gained some literary recognition with the Italian poet and writer, Antonio Vedra. Born in 1815 in the city of Turin, he was acclaimed for his romantic poetry and his contributions to the Italian literary scene of the time.
Finally, in the early 20th century, a notable figure bearing the surname "VEDRA" was Maria Vedra, an Italian opera singer who performed in various theaters across Europe. She was particularly acclaimed for her roles in the operas of Giuseppe Verdi and was born in 1892 in the city of Milan.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Vedra
Among Census respondents with the surname Vedra, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.2%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (6.0%) and Hispanic (5.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Vedra 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 Vedra surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.2% · 102
- Asian and Pacific Islander6.0% · 7
- Hispanic or Latino5.1% · 6
- Black or African American1.7% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Vedra
Vedra 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
#144,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
+6 bearers (+5.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 4,077 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #148,347 | 111 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #144,270 | 117 | 0.04 | +6 bearers (+5.4%) | Up 4,077 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 Vedra 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 | #148,347 | #144,270 | 2.7% |
| Count | 111 | 117 | 5.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -2.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Vedra bearers went from 111 to 117 (+5.4% change). The surname moved up 4,077 positions in the national ranking, going from #148,347 to #144,270.
FAQ
Vedra surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Vedra?
Name Census estimates that about 134 living Americans carry the surname Vedra. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,557,868 residents.
How common is Vedra?
Vedra ranks #144,270 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 117 people with the surname Vedra. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (134), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Vedra.
Has Vedra become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Vedra went from 111 recorded bearers to 117. That is an increase of 6 (+5.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #148,347 to #144,270.
What does the Census say about the background of Vedra?
Among Census respondents with the surname Vedra, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.2%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (6.0%) and Hispanic (5.1%). 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 Vedra in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.2% (102 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Vedra appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.2%), Asian/Pacific Islander (6.0%), Hispanic (5.1%). 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 Vedra (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 Vedra mean?
A surname derived from a topographic name referring to someone who lived near a willowbed or willow thicket. 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 Vedra (0.04 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 Vedra?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.