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

Venable, 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 Venable surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Venable in America

Venable is the 3458th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Venable surname appeared 10,333 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 4 people would have the surname Venable.

We can also compare 2010 data for Venable 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 Venable

The surname Venable originated in the Normandy region of France during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old French word "venable," which means "hunt-worthy" or "suitable for hunting." This suggests that the name may have been initially given to someone who worked as a huntsman or forester.

The earliest recorded instance of the Venable surname can be traced back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Venator," the Latin equivalent of "hunter." This entry is believed to refer to a Norman landowner or official who held responsibilities related to hunting and forestry.

Throughout the Middle Ages, the Venable family spread across various regions of France and England. In the 13th century, records show a Sir John Venable serving as a knight under King Edward I of England. Another notable figure was Sir William Venable, who fought alongside the Black Prince during the Battle of Poitiers in 1356.

As the name evolved over time, it took on various spellings, including Venables, Venablys, and Venebles. These variations were often influenced by regional dialects and scribal errors in historical documents.

In the 16th century, the Venable family established roots in the county of Cheshire, England, where they owned land and held positions of prominence. One of the most renowned members of this branch was Sir Thomas Venables (1550-1615), who served as Lord Mayor of London and was knighted by Queen Elizabeth I.

During the English Civil War, Colonel Robert Venables (1612-1687) played a significant role as a military commander under Oliver Cromwell. He later led an expedition to Jamaica, where he served as the island's first English governor from 1655 to 1657.

Other notable individuals with the Venable surname include Abraham Browning Venable (1758-1834), an American lawyer and politician who served as a member of the Virginia House of Delegates and the United States House of Representatives, and William Henry Venable (1836-1920), a Confederate officer during the American Civil War and later a prominent educator and author.

The Venable name has also been associated with various place names throughout history, such as Venables Hall in Cheshire, England, and Venable Lane in Charlottesville, Virginia, which was named after the Venable family who owned land in the area.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Venable

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

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

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

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