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

Vieau, 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 Vieau surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Vieau in America

Vieau is the 34758th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Vieau surname appeared 650 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 Vieau.

We can also compare 2010 data for Vieau 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 Vieau

The surname VIEAU originates from France, tracing its roots back to the 13th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old French word "viau," which means "calf" or "veal." This suggests that the name may have initially been an occupational surname for someone who worked with calves or cattle.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the VIEAU surname can be found in the archives of the Archbishopric of Rouen, Normandy, dating back to the year 1292. These records mention a certain Jehan Vieau, who was a farmer and landowner in the region.

During the Middle Ages, the VIEAU name was predominantly concentrated in the northern regions of France, particularly in Normandy and Picardy. It is possible that the name may have been associated with some minor noble families or landed gentry in these areas, though historical records are scarce.

In the 16th century, the VIEAU surname appeared in the records of the city of Calais, which was then under English rule. A merchant named Jacques Vieau, born in 1542, was listed as a citizen of Calais during this period.

As France expanded its colonial empire in the 17th and 18th centuries, some individuals bearing the VIEAU surname migrated to the French territories in North America, particularly in the region of modern-day Canada. One notable example is Jacques Vieau, a fur trader and explorer who was born in Montreal in 1705 and played a significant role in the early exploration of the Great Lakes region.

Another notable figure with the VIEAU surname was Pierre Vieau, a French-Canadian voyageur and trader who was born in 1753 and operated in the Great Lakes region. He is known for establishing a trading post near the present-day city of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in the late 18th century.

In the 19th century, the VIEAU name appears in records from various parts of France, as well as in French communities in Canada and the United States. One example is Louis Vieau, a French-Canadian entrepreneur and landowner who was born in 1786 in Pointe-Claire, Quebec, and later settled in the Green Bay area of Wisconsin.

Other notable individuals with the VIEAU surname include Joseph Vieau, a French-Canadian fur trader and explorer who was active in the Great Lakes region in the early 19th century, and Jacques Vieau, a French-Canadian voyageur and trader who operated in the Upper Mississippi River region in the same period.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Vieau

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

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

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

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