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

Vermillion, 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 Vermillion surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Vermillion in America

Vermillion is the 6271st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Vermillion surname appeared 5,449 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Vermillion.

We can also compare 2010 data for Vermillion 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 Vermillion

The surname Vermillion is a French name that originated in the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old French word vermeil, which means "bright red" or "crimson." This color reference likely came from the pigment vermilion, a brilliant red mineral pigment used in painting and dyeing.

The earliest recorded instances of the Vermillion surname date back to the 13th century in France. It is believed to have originated in the region of Normandy, where it may have initially referred to someone who worked with the vermilion pigment, perhaps a painter or dyer.

In the 14th century, the name appeared in various records and manuscripts across France, including the Cartulaire de l'abbaye de Notre-Dame de Lyre, a cartulary from the Notre-Dame de Lyre abbey in Normandy. This document, dated 1359, mentions a certain Robert Vermillion, likely one of the earliest known bearers of the surname.

By the 15th century, the Vermillion surname had spread to other parts of Europe. In 1487, a man named Jean Vermillion was recorded in the archives of the city of Bruges, in modern-day Belgium.

One notable bearer of the Vermillion surname was Jean-Baptiste Vermillion (1670-1737), a French painter and engraver known for his portraits and religious works. He was born in Lyon and studied in Paris under the renowned painter Charles Le Brun.

Another significant figure was Antoine Vermillion (1699-1782), a French historian and author who wrote several books on the history of Normandy and Brittany. He was born in Rouen and spent much of his life studying and documenting the region's rich history.

In England, the Vermillion surname can be traced back to the 16th century. One of the earliest recorded bearers was William Vermillion, who was mentioned in the parish records of St. Michael's Church in Coventry in 1592.

A notable English bearer of the Vermillion surname was Sir William Vermillion (1628-1701), a wealthy merchant and politician who served as Lord Mayor of London in 1676. He was born in London and made his fortune through international trade.

Across the Atlantic, the Vermillion surname also took root in the Americas during the colonial era. One of the earliest known bearers was Jean-Baptiste Vermillion (1712-1784), a French-Canadian fur trader and explorer who was active in the Great Lakes region and the Mississippi Valley.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Vermillion

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

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

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

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