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

Vice, 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 Vice surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Vice in America

Vice is the 6318th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Vice surname appeared 5,403 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Vice.

We can also compare 2010 data for Vice 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 Vice

The surname Vice is of English origin, dating back to the medieval era. It is believed to have derived from the Old French word "vis," meaning "screw" or "spiral staircase." This occupational surname was likely bestowed upon an individual who worked as a maker or repairer of winding staircases or spiral stairways.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Vice surname can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Wiltshire, England, from 1242, where a Robert le Vyse is mentioned. The use of the prefix "le" before the surname was common during this time, indicating "the" or "the one."

In the 13th century, the surname was also recorded with various spellings, such as Vyce, Vise, and Vyse, reflecting the regional dialects and inconsistencies in spelling during that era. The spelling "Vice" became more standardized in later centuries.

Notably, the Vice surname appears in the renowned Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of landholdings and population across England commissioned by William the Conqueror. This early record suggests the name's presence in England before the Norman Conquest.

Over the centuries, several notable individuals have borne the Vice surname. One such figure was Sir Thomas Vice (c. 1506-1558), an English merchant and diplomat who served as the Governor of the Company of Merchant Adventurers during the reign of Queen Mary I.

Another prominent bearer of the Vice name was John Vice (c. 1587-1635), an English clergyman and writer who served as the Rector of Battersea in London. He authored several religious works during his lifetime.

In the 18th century, John Vice (1718-1790) was a renowned English architect and surveyor responsible for designing several notable buildings, including the Radcliffe Observatory in Oxford.

The Vice surname also has connections to the literary world, with William Vice (1865-1936), an English novelist and short story writer known for his works set in rural Gloucestershire.

Finally, Samantha Vice (born 1968) is a contemporary South African philosopher and academic, currently serving as a Professor of Philosophy at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Vice

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

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

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

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