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

Venn, 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 Venn surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Venn in America

Venn is the 28263rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Venn surname appeared 846 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Venn.

We can also compare 2010 data for Venn 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 Venn

The surname Venn is of English origin, derived from the Old English word "fenn" or "fenne," meaning a marsh or fen. It was initially used as a toponymic name, referring to someone who lived near a marshy area or fenland.

The earliest recorded instances of the Venn surname can be traced back to the 13th century in various parts of England, particularly in counties like Norfolk, Suffolk, and Cambridgeshire, where numerous fens and marshlands were prevalent. The name was likely adopted as a descriptor for individuals residing in these wet, low-lying regions.

One of the earliest known references to the Venn surname can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Norfolk, a census-like record from the late 13th century. This document mentions a Richard de la Fenne, whose name indicates his association with a fen or marsh.

Over time, the surname underwent spelling variations, such as Fen, Fenn, Venn, and Venne, reflecting the regional dialects and scribal conventions of the period. These variations persisted until the standardization of English spelling in the 17th and 18th centuries.

The Venn surname has been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. One prominent figure was John Venn (1834-1923), an English logician and philosopher best known for introducing the Venn diagram, a visual representation of logical relationships using overlapping circles.

Another significant bearer of this surname was Richard Venn (1691-1739), an English clergyman and author who served as the Master of St. Peter's College, Cambridge. He was known for his theological writings and sermons.

In the realm of literature, John Venn (1759-1813) was an English writer and clergyman who published several works, including a collection of sermons and a treatise on the Holy Scriptures.

The Venn family has also made notable contributions in the field of science. John Venn (1799-1867) was an English economist and amateur botanist who published works on the flora of Cambridgeshire.

Additionally, John Archibald Venn (1883-1958) was a British physicist and mathematician renowned for his work on electromagnetism and optics.

While the Venn surname originated from a specific geographic location, it has since spread across various regions and countries, with bearers contributing to various fields throughout history.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Venn

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

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

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

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