2000
#15,720
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,706
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.63
Rare Last name
Vegas
A territorial surname likely originating from the Spanish city of the same name.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,320 Americans carry the last name Vegas. That puts it at #14,247 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.68 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 147,739 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Vegas 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
2.3K
1 in 147,739
Census rank
#14,247
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,023 bearers of the surname Vegas in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.68 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14247th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Vegas, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 70.4%. The next largest groups are White (21.9%) and Black (3.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Vegas
The surname Vegas has its origins in Spain, with records indicating it was first used in the 15th century. The name is believed to be derived from the Spanish word "vega," which means a fertile plain or meadow. It is thought to have originated as a descriptive name for people who lived in or near such areas.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Vegas surname can be found in the 16th century Catalan Atlas, which was a detailed map of the world created by cartographer Abraham Cresques. In this atlas, the name "Vegas" is listed as a place name for a region in the southern part of Spain.
The Vegas surname has been present in various historical records throughout the centuries. In the 17th century, there are records of a Diego de Vegas who was a Spanish explorer and navigator. He was born in 1592 and is known for his expeditions to the Pacific Ocean and his contributions to the mapping of the coastlines of California and Mexico.
In the 18th century, the name Vegas appears in the records of the Spanish Inquisition. Juan de Vegas, born in 1712, was a Catholic priest who faced persecution from the Inquisition for his alleged involvement in heretical activities.
During the 19th century, the surname Vegas gained prominence with the birth of Ventura Vegas (1810-1892), a renowned Spanish painter known for his landscape and genre paintings. His works are displayed in various museums across Spain and are considered important examples of the Romantic movement in Spanish art.
Another notable figure with the Vegas surname was Dolores Vegas (1870-1958), a Spanish novelist and playwright. She was born in Madrid and is credited with being one of the first female writers in Spain to address social and political issues through her literary works.
In more recent times, the surname Vegas has been associated with the famous city of Las Vegas, Nevada. However, it is important to note that the city's name was derived from the Spanish word "vegas," meaning fertile plains or meadows, and not directly from the surname itself.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Vegas
Among Census respondents with the surname Vegas, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 70.4%. The next largest groups are White (21.9%) and Black (3.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Vegas 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 Vegas surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino70.4% · 1,424
- White21.9% · 444
- Black or African American3.2% · 65
- Two or more races2.1% · 42
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.8% · 36
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 12
Timeline
Historical Census data for Vegas
Vegas appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#15,579
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,877
+171 bearers (+10.0%)
Per 100,000 0.64
Rank movement Up 141 places
2020
#14,247
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,023
+146 bearers (+7.8%)
Per 100,000 0.68
Rank movement Up 1,332 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #15,720 | 1,706 | 0.63 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #15,579 | 1,877 | 0.64 | +171 bearers (+10.0%) | Up 141 places |
| 2020 | #14,247 | 2,023 | 0.68 | +146 bearers (+7.8%) | Up 1,332 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 Vegas 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 | #15,579 | #14,247 | 8.5% |
| Count | 1,877 | 2,023 | 7.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.64 | 0.68 | 5.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Vegas bearers went from 1,877 to 2,023 (+7.8% change). The surname moved up 1,332 positions in the national ranking, going from #15,579 to #14,247.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Vegas
FAQ
Vegas surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Vegas?
Name Census estimates that about 2,320 living Americans carry the surname Vegas. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 147,739 residents.
How common is Vegas?
Vegas ranks #14,247 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.68 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,023 people with the surname Vegas. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,320), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.68 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.68 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Vegas.
Has Vegas become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Vegas went from 1,877 recorded bearers to 2,023. That is an increase of 146 (+7.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #15,579 to #14,247.
What does the Census say about the background of Vegas?
Among Census respondents with the surname Vegas, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 70.4%. The next largest groups are White (21.9%) and Black (3.2%). 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?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Vegas in the 2020 Census, accounting for 70.4% (1,424 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Vegas appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (70.4%), White (21.9%), Black (3.2%). 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 Vegas (2000, 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 Vegas mean?
A territorial surname likely originating from the Spanish city of the same name. 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 Vegas (0.68 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 Vegas?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.