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

Vicente, 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 Vicente surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Vicente in America

Vicente is the 3326th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Vicente surname appeared 10,789 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 Vicente.

We can also compare 2010 data for Vicente 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 Vicente

The surname Vicente originated in Portugal, likely derived from the Latin name Vincentius, meaning "conquering" or "victorious." It emerged during the medieval period, between the 12th and 15th centuries, when surnames became more widespread.

In its early days, the name Vicente was primarily concentrated in the northern regions of Portugal, particularly around the cities of Porto and Braga. It is believed to have been adopted as a surname by individuals who lived near churches or monasteries dedicated to Saint Vincent, a revered martyr from the 4th century.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Vicente can be found in the "Livro Velho de Linhagens" (Old Book of Lineages), a Portuguese genealogical manuscript from the 13th century. This document mentions several individuals with the surname Vicente, suggesting its establishment as a family name during that time.

In the 15th century, the name Vicente gained prominence with the birth of Gil Vicente (c. 1465-c. 1536), widely regarded as the father of Portuguese theater. He was a renowned playwright, poet, and actor who significantly influenced the development of Portuguese literature and drama.

Another notable figure was Diogo Vicente (1470-1540), a Portuguese explorer who accompanied Ferdinand Magellan on his historic voyage around the world. Vicente played a crucial role in the expedition, serving as the captain of one of the ships and later taking command after Magellan's death.

During the Age of Exploration, the surname Vicente spread across the Portuguese Empire, with individuals bearing this name contributing to the exploration and settlement of various territories. For instance, João Vicente (c. 1500-1570) was a Portuguese explorer and navigator who led expeditions to Brazil and the Moluccas Islands.

In the artistic realm, Pedro Vicente (1639-1712) was a prominent Portuguese painter and engraver during the Baroque period, known for his religious works and portraits of nobility.

Furthermore, the name Vicente has been associated with places in Portugal, such as the town of São Vicente in the Algarve region, which likely derived its name from a church dedicated to Saint Vincent.

While the surname Vicente originated in Portugal, it has since been adopted in various Spanish-speaking countries, particularly in Latin America, due to the cultural and linguistic ties between these regions and the Iberian Peninsula.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Vicente

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

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

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

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