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

Victor, 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 Victor surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Victor in America

Victor is the 3214th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Victor surname appeared 11,234 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 Victor.

We can also compare 2010 data for Victor 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 Victor

The surname Victor has its origins in the Latin language and is derived from the word "victor," which means "victor" or "conqueror." The name first appeared in ancient Rome, where it was used as a cognomen or a personal surname to honor individuals who had achieved notable military victories or triumphs.

The earliest recorded instances of the Victor surname can be traced back to the Roman Empire, where it was borne by several prominent figures. One notable example is Quintus Fabius Maximus Verrucosus Victor, a Roman statesman and military commander who lived in the 3rd century BC and played a crucial role in the Second Punic War against Carthage.

As the Roman Empire expanded, the Victor surname spread across Europe, particularly in regions that were part of the Roman territories or heavily influenced by Roman culture. In the Middle Ages, the surname appeared in various historical records and manuscripts, including the famous Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of landholdings in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086.

The Victor surname has been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. One of the earliest examples is Marcus Aurelius Victor, a Roman historian and author who lived in the 4th century AD and wrote a series of biographies known as the "Liber de Caesaribus." Another prominent figure was Claudius Victor, a Roman grammarian and rhetorician who lived in the 4th century AD and wrote a treatise on Latin grammar.

During the Renaissance period, the Victor surname gained further prominence. One notable bearer was Sextus Aurelius Victor, a Roman historian and author from the late 4th century AD, best known for his work "De Caesaribus," a collection of biographies of Roman emperors. Another figure was Pedro Calderón de la Barca Victor (1600-1681), a Spanish playwright and poet who is considered one of the greatest dramatists of the Spanish Golden Age.

In more recent times, the Victor surname has been carried by several influential figures. One example is Jacques-René Victor (1801-1885), a French philosopher and political theorist who made significant contributions to the development of liberal democracy. Another notable bearer was Matila Ghyka Victor (1881-1965), a Romanian mathematician, writer, and philosopher who explored the connections between mathematics and art.

The Victor surname has also been associated with various place names and locations throughout history. For instance, the town of Vitoria-Gasteiz in the Basque Country of Spain is derived from the Latin name "Victoriaco," which means "place of victory." Similarly, the city of Victoria in British Columbia, Canada, is named after Queen Victoria, whose name is derived from the Latin "victor."

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Victor

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

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

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

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