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

Vest, 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 Vest surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Vest in America

Vest is the 3164th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Vest surname appeared 11,405 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 4 people would have the surname Vest.

We can also compare 2010 data for Vest 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 Vest

The surname Vest has its origins in Germany and can be traced back to the 13th century. It is derived from the Middle High German word "vest," which means "firm" or "solid." This suggests that the name may have been initially used as a descriptive nickname for someone who was strong or steadfast.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Vest can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Brandenburgensis, a collection of historical documents from the region of Brandenburg, where a person named Henricus Vest was mentioned in 1290.

In the 14th century, the name appears in various records from the German states of Saxony and Bavaria. For instance, a certain Cunradus Vest was listed as a resident of Leipzig in 1342, while a Johanne Vest was recorded in the town of Augsburg in 1378.

Throughout the Middle Ages, the surname Vest was predominantly found in central and southern Germany, particularly in the regions of Franconia, Swabia, and Bavaria. It is believed that the name may have originated in one of these areas before spreading to other parts of the country.

Notable individuals with the surname Vest include Johann Vest (1492-1561), a German theologian and reformer who was a supporter of Martin Luther and played a significant role in the Protestant Reformation. Another person of historical interest is Christoph Vest (1630-1696), a German architect who designed several churches and public buildings in the city of Bamberg.

In the 19th century, the name Vest was also found in Austria, where a notable figure was Johann Vest (1815-1888), an Austrian politician and lawyer who served as the Minister of Justice for the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

Other individuals bearing the surname Vest include Hans Vest (1877-1962), a German painter and illustrator known for his landscapes and book illustrations, and Walter Vest (1915-2002), a German composer and conductor who was particularly renowned for his choral works.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Vest

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

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

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

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