2000
#124,872
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 127
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Vevea
A surname derived from the French word "veuve," meaning widow.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 131 Americans carry the last name Vevea. That puts it at #146,495 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,616,445 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Vevea 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
131
1 in 2,616,445
Census rank
#146,495
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
114
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 114 bearers of the surname Vevea in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 146495th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Vevea, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Vevea
The surname VEVEA is believed to have originated in Italy during the medieval period. It is thought to have derived from the Latin word 'vivere', meaning 'to live' or 'to be alive'. This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who had a lively or vibrant personality.
Historical records indicate that the name was present in various regions of Italy, particularly in the northern areas such as Lombardy and Veneto. The earliest known reference to the name VEVEA can be traced back to a document from the 13th century in the city of Verona.
During the Renaissance period, the VEVEA surname gained prominence in Italian literature and art. One notable figure was Giovanni VEVEA, a renowned painter born in Florence in the late 15th century (1472-1549). His works, which included religious frescoes and portraits, can still be found in various churches and galleries across Italy.
In the 17th century, the VEVEA family had a strong presence in the city of Venice, where several members were involved in the lucrative silk trade. Antonio VEVEA (1620-1692) was a prominent merchant who established a successful business exporting Venetian silk to other European countries.
The name VEVEA also found its way into the world of music during the Baroque period. Giuseppe VEVEA (1685-1746), a celebrated composer and violinist from Naples, is credited with several operas and concertos that were performed in the royal courts of Europe.
Another noteworthy figure was Francesca VEVEA (1793-1865), a philanthropist and activist from Milan. She dedicated her life to improving the living conditions of orphans and underprivileged children, establishing several orphanages and schools in the region.
As the VEVEA family spread across Italy and beyond, the name underwent various spelling variations, such as Veveia, Veveja, and Vevaia. Some branches of the family also adopted different versions of the name, like Vivia or Viviani, which were likely influenced by the original Latin root 'vivere'.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Vevea
Among Census respondents with the surname Vevea, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Vevea 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 Vevea surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White97.4% · 111
- Hispanic or Latino2.6% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Vevea
Vevea 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
#135,593
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 124
-3 bearers (-2.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 10,721 places
2020
#146,495
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
-10 bearers (-8.1%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 10,902 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #124,872 | 127 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #135,593 | 124 | 0.04 | -3 bearers (-2.4%) | Down 10,721 places |
| 2020 | #146,495 | 114 | 0.04 | -10 bearers (-8.1%) | Down 10,902 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 Vevea 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 | #135,593 | #146,495 | -8.0% |
| Count | 124 | 114 | -8.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -4.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Vevea bearers went from 124 to 114 (-8.1% change). The surname moved down 10,902 positions in the national ranking, going from #135,593 to #146,495.
FAQ
Vevea surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Vevea?
Name Census estimates that about 131 living Americans carry the surname Vevea. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,616,445 residents.
How common is Vevea?
Vevea ranks #146,495 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 114 people with the surname Vevea. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (131), 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 Vevea.
Has Vevea become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Vevea went from 124 recorded bearers to 114. That is a decrease of 10 (-8.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #135,593 to #146,495.
What does the Census say about the background of Vevea?
Among Census respondents with the surname Vevea, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.6%). 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 Vevea in the 2020 Census, accounting for 97.4% (111 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Vevea appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (97.4%), Hispanic (2.6%). 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 Vevea (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 Vevea mean?
A surname derived from the French word "veuve," meaning widow. 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 Vevea (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 people have the last name Vevea?
You can see how many people have the last name Vevea on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.