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

Vergil, 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 Vergil surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Vergil in America

Vergil is the 114424th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Vergil surname appeared 153 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 Vergil.

We can also compare 2010 data for Vergil 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 Vergil

The surname Vergil originated in ancient Rome, derived from the Latin verb "vergere," meaning "to tend toward" or "to incline." It is most famously associated with Publius Vergilius Maro, the renowned Roman poet known as Virgil (70 BCE - 19 BCE), who wrote the epic poem "The Aeneid."

The name Vergil gained prominence during the Roman Empire and was used by various families, particularly in Italy. It is believed that the name may have been initially adopted by individuals or families who resided near a specific area or landmark that was associated with the word "vergere."

In medieval times, the name Vergil appeared in various forms, such as Virgilius, Vergilius, and Vergilio, in various Latin manuscripts and records. One notable example is the 12th-century manuscript "Virgilius the Grammarian," which contained works attributed to Virgil.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname Vergil can be traced back to the 13th and 14th centuries in Italy, particularly in the regions of Tuscany, Umbria, and Lazio. During this period, the name was often associated with scholarly or literary pursuits, reflecting the influence of the Roman poet Virgil.

Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the surname Vergil, including:

1. Polydore Vergil (c. 1470 - 1555), an Italian humanist scholar and historian who lived in England.
2. Giambattista Vergil (1470 - 1548), an Italian humanist and poet from Urbino.
3. Gian Vincenzo Vergil (1499 - 1554), an Italian philosopher and writer from Capua.
4. Vergilius Polydorus (c. 1470 - 1555), an Italian historian and author of the work "Anglica Historia."
5. Giovanni Battista Vergil (1460 - 1524), an Italian humanist and philosopher from Mantua.

The surname Vergil has also been associated with various place names and geographical locations, such as Vergil's Tomb in Naples, Italy, which is believed to be the final resting place of the Roman poet Virgil. Additionally, the name has been linked to the town of Virgil in upstate New York, which was likely named in honor of the famous Roman writer.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Vergil

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

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

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

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