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

Vial, 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 Vial surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Vial in America

Vial is the 27277th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Vial surname appeared 886 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 Vial.

We can also compare 2010 data for Vial 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 Vial

The surname Vial originated in France, where it first appeared in the 11th century. It is derived from the Old French word "vial," meaning "path" or "road." This suggests that the name may have been given to someone who lived near a well-traveled path or road.

The earliest recorded mention of the name Vial can be found in the Cartulaire de l'Abbaye de Savigny, a 12th-century document from the Normandy region of France. This document includes the name Robertus Vial, who was likely a resident of the area at that time.

During the Middle Ages, the name Vial was particularly prevalent in the regions of Normandy, Brittany, and Poitou in western France. Several notable individuals bearing this surname emerged from these areas, including Jean Vial, a 14th-century priest and canon of the Cathedral of Rouen.

In the 16th century, the Vial family established themselves in the town of Vialmur, located in the Tarn-et-Garonne department of southwestern France. This town's name is believed to be derived from the Latin phrase "via murata," meaning "walled road," further reinforcing the connection between the surname and its road-related origins.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Vial in England appears in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1191, where a Richard Vial is mentioned. This suggests that the name had begun to spread beyond France by the late 12th century.

Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the surname Vial, including:

1. Jacques Vial (c. 1500-1570), a French Protestant theologian and reformer.
2. Claude Vial (1619-1678), a French Jesuit missionary who traveled to the Americas.
3. Paul Vial (1649-1711), a French Benedictine monk and historian.
4. Claude-François Vial (1746-1828), a French architect and urban planner.
5. Édouard Vial (1820-1899), a French painter and engraver.

While the surname Vial has its roots in France, it has since spread to other parts of the world, including Canada, the United States, and Australia, carried by descendants of French immigrants who settled in these regions over the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Vial

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

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

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

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