2000
#114,852
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 141
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Verfaillie
A surname originally denoting someone from the village of Verfaillie in Belgium.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 139 Americans carry the last name Verfaillie. That puts it at #141,309 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,465,859 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Verfaillie 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
139
1 in 2,465,859
Census rank
#141,309
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
121
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 121 bearers of the surname Verfaillie in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 141309th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Verfaillie, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (7.4%) and Hispanic (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Verfaillie
The surname Verfaillie originates from the Flemish region of Belgium, particularly in the province of West Flanders. Its roots can be traced back to the 16th century. The name is derived from the Flemish words "ver" meaning "far" and "vaillant" meaning "valiant" or "brave," suggesting a possible occupation or characteristic associated with the original bearer.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Verfaillie can be found in the parish records of Veurne, a town located in West Flanders, dating back to the late 1500s. This suggests that the name was already well-established in the region at that time.
In the 17th century, a notable figure with the surname Verfaillie was Jan Verfaillie, a prominent merchant and landowner in the town of Diksmuide. He was born in 1632 and played an influential role in the local community.
During the 18th century, the Verfaillie family expanded its presence across West Flanders. In the town of Nieuwpoort, there are records of a Pieter Verfaillie, born in 1724, who served as a respected alderman and magistrate.
As the name spread to other parts of Belgium and neighboring regions, variations in spelling emerged, such as Verfaille, Verfaellie, and Vervaellie. These variations were likely influenced by local dialects and regional pronunciations.
One of the most renowned individuals with the surname Verfaillie was François Verfaillie, a celebrated Flemish painter born in Kortrijk in 1778. His works, which depicted landscapes and everyday scenes, are highly regarded and can be found in several museums throughout Belgium and the Netherlands.
In the 19th century, the Verfaillie name gained prominence in the literary world with the writer and poet Louis Verfaillie, born in Ghent in 1824. His poetic works, often reflecting his deep connection to his Flemish roots, were widely acclaimed during his lifetime.
Another notable figure from this period was Marcel Verfaillie, a prominent architect born in Antwerp in 1862. He was responsible for designing several iconic buildings in Brussels, including the Palais des Beaux-Arts and the Université Libre de Bruxelles.
While the Verfaillie surname has its origins in the Flemish region of Belgium, it has since spread to other parts of the world due to migration and diaspora communities. However, its rich history and cultural significance remain deeply rooted in the Flemish heritage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Verfaillie
Among Census respondents with the surname Verfaillie, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (7.4%) and Hispanic (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Verfaillie 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 Verfaillie surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.1% · 109
- Two or more races7.4% · 9
- Hispanic or Latino1.7% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Verfaillie
Verfaillie 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
#115,639
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 151
+10 bearers (+7.1%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Down 787 places
2020
#141,309
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
-30 bearers (-19.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 25,670 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #114,852 | 141 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #115,639 | 151 | 0.05 | +10 bearers (+7.1%) | Down 787 places |
| 2020 | #141,309 | 121 | 0.04 | -30 bearers (-19.9%) | Down 25,670 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 Verfaillie 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 | #115,639 | #141,309 | -22.2% |
| Count | 151 | 121 | -19.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.04 | -19.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Verfaillie bearers went from 151 to 121 (-19.9% change). The surname moved down 25,670 positions in the national ranking, going from #115,639 to #141,309.
FAQ
Verfaillie surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Verfaillie?
Name Census estimates that about 139 living Americans carry the surname Verfaillie. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,465,859 residents.
How common is Verfaillie?
Verfaillie ranks #141,309 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 121 people with the surname Verfaillie. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (139), 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 Verfaillie.
Has Verfaillie become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Verfaillie went from 151 recorded bearers to 121. That is a decrease of 30 (-19.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #115,639 to #141,309.
What does the Census say about the background of Verfaillie?
Among Census respondents with the surname Verfaillie, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (7.4%) and Hispanic (1.7%). 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 Verfaillie in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.1% (109 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Verfaillie appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.1%), Two or More Races (7.4%), Hispanic (1.7%). 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 Verfaillie (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 Verfaillie mean?
A surname originally denoting someone from the village of Verfaillie in Belgium. 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 Verfaillie (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 people have the last name Verfaillie?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the surname Verfaillie on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.