Vernier last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Vernier

A French surname derived from the Latin vernaculus, meaning native or indigenous person.

Vernier, 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 Vernier surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Vernier in America

Vernier is the 25518th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Vernier surname appeared 968 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 Vernier.

We can also compare 2010 data for Vernier 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.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 25518 20367 22.45%
Count 968 1,213 -22.47%
Proportion per 100k 0.33 0.45 -30.77%

The history of the last name Vernier

The surname VERNIER is of French origin, derived from the Old French word "vernier," which referred to a type of craftsman or skilled worker. This name likely emerged in the late medieval period, around the 13th or 14th century, as a descriptive surname for individuals involved in various crafts or trades.

The name VERNIER is believed to have originated in the northern regions of France, particularly in areas such as Normandy and Picardy. It may have initially been used to denote individuals who specialized in the production or repair of instruments used in various trades, such as carpentry, metalworking, or even glassmaking.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name VERNIER can be found in the 14th-century French census records, which mention a family by the name of Vernier residing in the town of Rouen, Normandy. This provides evidence that the name was well-established in the region during that time period.

In the 16th century, the name VERNIER gained prominence due to its association with Pierre Vernier, a French mathematician and inventor born in 1580. He is credited with developing the Vernier scale, a widely used tool for precise measurement in various fields, including engineering and astronomy. His contributions to the field of mathematics and instrument design contributed to the recognition of the VERNIER name.

Another notable individual with the surname VERNIER was Jean-Baptiste Vernier, a French architect who lived from 1632 to 1707. He was responsible for the design and construction of several notable buildings in Paris, including the Church of Saint-Sulpice and the Château de Versailles.

In the 18th century, Jacques Vernier (1701-1783) was a French painter known for his portraits and historical scenes. His works can be found in various museums and galleries across France.

During the 19th century, Théodore Vernier (1825-1892) was a prominent French geologist and paleontologist. He made significant contributions to the study of fossils and the understanding of geological formations in France and other parts of Europe.

The name VERNIER has also been associated with various place names throughout France, such as Vernières, a commune in the Indre department, and Vernier, a town located in the Haute-Savoie region. These place names may have influenced the spelling variations of the surname over time.

While the VERNIER name has French origins, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and cultural exchange. Today, individuals bearing this surname can be found in various countries, including Canada, the United States, and other regions with French cultural influences.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Vernier

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

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 Vernier was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 92.25% 893
Non-Hispanic Black Only 0.72% 7
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only 0.62% 6
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.52% 5
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 1.24% 12
Hispanic Origin 4.65% 45

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 Vernier has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 92.25% 93.08% -0.90%
Black 0.72% 0.66% 8.70%
Asian and Pacific Islander 0.62% 0.49% 23.42%
American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.52% 0.66% -23.73%
Two or More Races 1.24% 1.24% 0.00%
Hispanic 4.65% 3.87% 18.31%

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

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Vernier, 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!

"Vernier last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on November 25, 2024. http://namecensus.com/last-names/vernier-surname-popularity/.

"Vernier last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/vernier-surname-popularity/. Accessed 25 November, 2024

Vernier last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/vernier-surname-popularity/.

Search for a name

Search for a first or last name to learn more about its origin, meaning, and more.

Simple as that.