2000
#2,368
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 14,009
First available Census row
Per 100,000 5.19
Uncommon Last name
Vick
Derived from a shortened form of the Old English personal name "Richard," meaning "powerful leader."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 15,409 Americans carry the last name Vick. That puts it at #2,624 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 4.50 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 22,244 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Vick 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Vick with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
15K
1 in 22,244
Census rank
#2,624
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
4.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
13K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 13,437 bearers of the surname Vick in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 4.50 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2624th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Vick, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.5%. The next largest groups are Black (12.9%) and Two or More Races (3.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Vick
The surname VICK is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is likely derived from the Old English word "wic," which referred to a small settlement or dwelling place. The name may have been initially used as a descriptive name for someone who lived in such a wic or hamlet.
The earliest recorded instance of the surname VICK can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1273, where it appears as "Wike." This early spelling variation highlights the connection to the Old English root word.
In the 14th century, the surname VICK emerged in various parts of England, including Oxfordshire, Gloucestershire, and Somerset. Records from this time period show spellings such as "Wyke," "Wycke," and "Vicke," reflecting the regional variations in pronunciation and spelling.
One of the earliest known bearers of the VICK surname was John Wycke, who was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1381. This historical record suggests that the name was well-established in the region by the late 14th century.
In the 16th century, the surname VICK appears in the parish records of several English counties, including Wiltshire, Dorset, and Devon. This indicates the gradual spread and establishment of the name across different parts of the country.
Notable individuals with the surname VICK throughout history include:
1. Roger Vick (c. 1570 - c. 1625), an English merchant and member of the Virginia Company, who was involved in the early colonization efforts in North America.
2. John Vick (1613 - 1688), an English clergyman and author, known for his work "The Spiritual Guide" published in 1677.
3. Elizabeth Vick (1737 - 1828), an English horticulturist and botanist, credited with introducing several plant species to England from her travels abroad.
4. Samuel Vick (1786 - 1868), an English industrialist and entrepreneur, who established a successful textile manufacturing business in Yorkshire.
5. Charles Vick (1842 - 1912), an American horticulturist and seedsman, who founded the Vick Seed Company in Rochester, New York, which became a leading supplier of seeds and plants in the late 19th century.
The VICK surname has a rich history rooted in the medieval English countryside, with its earliest origins tracing back to small settlements or dwelling places. Over the centuries, it has been borne by notable individuals across various fields, from merchants and clergymen to horticulturists and industrialists, reflecting the diverse paths taken by those carrying this traditional English surname.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Vick
Among Census respondents with the surname Vick, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.5%. The next largest groups are Black (12.9%) and Two or More Races (3.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Vick 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 Vick surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White79.5% · 10,689
- Black or African American12.9% · 1,735
- Two or more races3.6% · 481
- Hispanic or Latino2.9% · 391
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 76
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 65
Timeline
Historical Census data for Vick
Vick 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
#2,511
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 14,421
+412 bearers (+2.9%)
Per 100,000 4.89
Rank movement Down 143 places
2020
#2,624
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 13,437
-984 bearers (-6.8%)
Per 100,000 4.50
Rank movement Down 113 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,368 | 14,009 | 5.19 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,511 | 14,421 | 4.89 | +412 bearers (+2.9%) | Down 143 places |
| 2020 | #2,624 | 13,437 | 4.50 | -984 bearers (-6.8%) | Down 113 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 Vick 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 | #2,511 | #2,624 | -4.5% |
| Count | 14,421 | 13,437 | -6.8% |
| Per 100K | 4.89 | 4.50 | -8.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Vick bearers went from 14,421 to 13,437 (-6.8% change). The surname moved down 113 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,511 to #2,624.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Vick
FAQ
Vick surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Vick?
Name Census estimates that about 15,409 living Americans carry the surname Vick. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 22,244 residents.
How common is Vick?
Vick ranks #2,624 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 4.50 per 100,000 residents, which is about 4 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 13,437 people with the surname Vick. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (15,409), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 4.5 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 4.50 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 4 of them to have the surname Vick.
Has Vick become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Vick went from 14,421 recorded bearers to 13,437. That is a decrease of 984 (-6.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #2,511 to #2,624.
What does the Census say about the background of Vick?
Among Census respondents with the surname Vick, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.5%. The next largest groups are Black (12.9%) and Two or More Races (3.6%). 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 Vick in the 2020 Census, accounting for 79.5% (10,689 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Vick appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (79.5%), Black (12.9%), Two or More Races (3.6%). 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 Vick (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 Vick mean?
Derived from a shortened form of the Old English personal name "Richard," meaning "powerful leader." 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 Vick (4.50 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 Vick?
Find out how many people have the surname Vick on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.