Verdu
An occupational surname derived from the French word "verdier," referring to a person in charge of a forest or greenwood.
According to the 2010 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 171 Americans carry the last name Verdu. That puts it at #122,314 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.05 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,004,411 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Verdu surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, 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
171
1 in 2,004,411
Census rank
#122,314
2010 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
141
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 141 bearers of the surname Verdu in its 2010 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.05 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 122314th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Verdu, the largest self-reported group is White at 58.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (40.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Verdu
The surname Verdu is believed to have originated in the Pyrenees region, which straddles the modern-day borders of Spain and France. It first appeared during the late Middle Ages, likely around the 13th or 14th century.
The name is thought to derive from the Occitan or Catalan word "verd," meaning "green" or "verdant." This suggests that the earliest bearers of the name may have lived in particularly lush or fertile areas. Alternatively, it could have been used as a descriptive nickname for someone with green eyes or who frequently wore green clothing.
One of the earliest known references to the Verdu name comes from the village of Verdú in Catalonia, Spain. This town, located in the province of Lleida, likely took its name from the Latinized form "Viridium," meaning "green place." It's possible that the surname originated as a locative name for someone from this specific village.
In 15th century records from the Kingdom of Aragon, the name appears with various spellings such as Verdú, Verdu, and Verdun. During this time, a notable bearer of the name was Jaume Verdu, a merchant and landowner from the city of Valencia who lived from around 1420 to 1489.
Another early example is Gaspar Verdu, a Spanish soldier and explorer who was part of the Narváez expedition to Florida in 1528. He is believed to have been one of the four survivors of this ill-fated journey, which was documented in the famous account "La Relación" by Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca.
In the 17th century, the Verdu name appears in records from the Spanish colonies in the Americas. One notable figure was Juan Verdu, a Spanish settler who established a ranch in what is now the state of Texas in the 1680s.
Moving into the 18th century, there was a French military officer named Jean-Baptiste Verdu who served as a lieutenant general under Napoleon Bonaparte. He was born in 1762 and died in 1831.
Finally, in the 19th century, there was a Spanish painter named José Verdu who was known for his landscapes and portraits. He was born in 1833 in the city of Valencia and died there in 1898.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Verdu
Among Census respondents with the surname Verdu, the largest self-reported group is White at 58.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (40.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Verdu bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2010 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.
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 Verdu surname at the time of the 2010 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White58.9%
- Hispanic or Latino40.4%
Year on year
2010 vs 2010 Census
How has the Verdu surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
| Metric | 2010 | 2010 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #122,314 | #122,314 | 0.0% |
| Count | 141 | 141 | 0.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.05 | 0.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2010 Census, the number of Verdu bearers went from 141 to 141 (+0.0% change). The surname held its position in the national ranking, going from #122,314 to #122,314.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Verdu
FAQ
Verdu surname: questions and answers
How common is the last name Verdu?
The surname Verdu holds position #122,314 in the US Census Bureau's surname ranking, with an estimated 171 living bearers. It occurs at a rate of 0.05 per 100,000 Americans.
What is the ethnic background of the Verdu surname?
Among Census respondents with the surname Verdu, the largest self-reported group is White at 58.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (40.4%). These figures come from the 2010 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Where does this surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These tables list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2010 Census, along with a frequency rate and self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.