2000
#125,639
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 126
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Vermes
A Hungarian surname derived from the Latin 'vermis,' meaning a worm or worm-like insect.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 139 Americans carry the last name Vermes. 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 Vermes 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 Vermes 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 Vermes, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.0%) and Two or More Races (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Vermes
The surname VERMES originated in Hungary, a country located in Central Europe. The name is derived from the Hungarian word "vörmes," which means "reddish-brown" or "red-haired." This suggests that the name was originally a descriptive nickname given to someone with reddish-brown hair or a ruddy complexion.
The earliest known records of the VERMES surname date back to the 13th century in various Hungarian historical documents and manuscripts. One notable mention is found in the Codex of Várad, a medieval Latin manuscript compiled in the early 13th century, which contains legal records from the Diocese of Várad (now Oradea, Romania).
In the 16th century, the VERMES family was a prominent noble family in Hungary. János VERMES (1472-1538) was a Hungarian nobleman and military leader who served as the captain of the castle of Eger during the Ottoman-Hungarian Wars. He is celebrated for his successful defense of the castle against the Ottoman forces in 1552.
Another notable bearer of the VERMES surname was György VERMES (1857-1916), a Hungarian politician and writer. He served as a member of the Hungarian Parliament and was a prominent figure in the literary and cultural circles of Budapest.
In the 19th century, the VERMES surname also appeared in England, where it was likely introduced by Hungarian immigrants or descendants of Hungarian families. One such individual was Sir Joseph VERMES (1831-1898), a British banker and philanthropist of Hungarian descent.
The name VERMES has also been associated with several notable academics and scholars. For example, Geza VERMES (1924-2013) was a Hungarian-British scholar of Jewish studies and a leading authority on the Dead Sea Scrolls and the historical Jesus. Pamela VERMES (1918-1993) was a British novelist and literary critic, and the wife of Geza VERMES.
While the VERMES surname is most closely associated with Hungary and its Hungarian origins, it has spread to other parts of Europe and beyond through migration and intermarriage. The name continues to be found in various countries, reflecting its rich historical roots and cultural significance.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Vermes
Among Census respondents with the surname Vermes, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.0%) and Two or More Races (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Vermes 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 Vermes surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.6% · 112
- Hispanic or Latino5.0% · 6
- Two or more races1.7% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Vermes
Vermes 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
#143,149
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
-10 bearers (-7.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 17,510 places
2020
#141,309
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
+5 bearers (+4.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 1,840 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #125,639 | 126 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #143,149 | 116 | 0.04 | -10 bearers (-7.9%) | Down 17,510 places |
| 2020 | #141,309 | 121 | 0.04 | +5 bearers (+4.3%) | Up 1,840 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 Vermes 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 | #143,149 | #141,309 | 1.3% |
| Count | 116 | 121 | 4.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 1.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Vermes bearers went from 116 to 121 (+4.3% change). The surname moved up 1,840 positions in the national ranking, going from #143,149 to #141,309.
FAQ
Vermes surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Vermes?
Name Census estimates that about 139 living Americans carry the surname Vermes. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,465,859 residents.
How common is Vermes?
Vermes 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 Vermes. 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 Vermes.
Has Vermes become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Vermes went from 116 recorded bearers to 121. That is an increase of 5 (+4.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #143,149 to #141,309.
What does the Census say about the background of Vermes?
Among Census respondents with the surname Vermes, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.0%) and Two or More Races (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 Vermes in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.6% (112 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Vermes appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.6%), Hispanic (5.0%), Two or More Races (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 Vermes (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 Vermes mean?
A Hungarian surname derived from the Latin 'vermis,' meaning a worm or worm-like insect. 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 Vermes (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 Americans have the surname Vermes?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.