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

Vernal, 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 Vernal surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Vernal in America

Vernal is the 60347th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Vernal surname appeared 334 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 Vernal.

We can also compare 2010 data for Vernal 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 Vernal

The surname VERNAL is of English origin, derived from the Old French word "vernal," meaning "of or pertaining to spring." It likely originated as a descriptive name given to someone who was born or lived in a place associated with springtime or the vernal equinox.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname VERNAL date back to the late 13th century in England. One of the earliest documented references is found in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire from 1279, which mentions a person named Robert Vernal.

In the 14th century, the surname VERNAL appears in various medieval records, including the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327, where a John Vernal is listed. During this period, the name was often spelled as "Vernale" or "Vernall," reflecting the variations in spelling common at the time.

One notable historical figure with the surname VERNAL was Sir Thomas Vernal (1490-1542), an English Member of Parliament and Sheriff of Gloucestershire during the reign of King Henry VIII. He was known for his involvement in local politics and administration.

Another early bearer of the VERNAL surname was William Vernal (c. 1520-1591), an English Protestant reformer and clergyman who served as the Dean of Ely Cathedral in the latter half of the 16th century.

In the 17th century, the surname VERNAL is found in various parish records and census documents across England. One example is Richard Vernal (1638-1711), a prominent merchant and landowner in Gloucestershire, who left a significant legacy in the form of charitable endowments.

During the 18th century, the name VERNAL continued to be present in English records, such as the baptismal registers of St. Mary's Church in Cheltenham, where a John Vernal (1712-1780) is listed as a local farmer and landowner.

In the 19th century, the surname VERNAL gained wider recognition with the birth of Henry Vernal (1820-1895), a renowned English botanist and horticulturist who made significant contributions to the study of plant life and gardening techniques.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Vernal

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!