2000
#134,037
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Vielbig
A German surname likely derived from a descriptive nickname meaning "large" or "big".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 123 Americans carry the last name Vielbig. That puts it at #151,639 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,786,621 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Vielbig 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.
Bearers in the US
123
1 in 2,786,621
Census rank
#151,639
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
107
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 107 bearers of the surname Vielbig in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 151639th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Vielbig, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (11.2%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Vielbig
The surname VIELBIG is believed to have originated in Germany, with records dating back to the 16th century. It is thought to be derived from the Low German words "vele" meaning "many" and "biga" meaning "bend" or "curve", suggesting an association with a geographic location characterized by numerous bends or curves.
One of the earliest known mentions of the name VIELBIG can be found in the parish records of the town of Meseritz, located in what is now modern-day Poland, from the late 1500s. These records document several families with the surname, indicating that the name had already established roots in the region by that time.
In the 17th century, the name appears in various records from the Prussian region, particularly in the areas around Berlin and Brandenburg. This suggests that families bearing the VIELBIG surname may have migrated from their original settlements to other parts of what was then the Kingdom of Prussia.
Notably, in the early 1700s, a man named Johann VIELBIG (1678-1744) was recorded as a prominent merchant and landowner in the town of Prenzlau, located in the Uckermark region of Brandenburg. His success and influence likely contributed to the spread and recognition of the VIELBIG name within the local community.
Another notable figure was Friedrich Wilhelm VIELBIG (1801-1875), a German historian and writer who authored several works on the history of the Prussian state and its nobility. His scholarly contributions helped preserve important historical records and shed light on the regional heritage associated with the VIELBIG surname.
In the 19th century, the name VIELBIG appeared in various German census records and directories, particularly in the regions of Saxony, Silesia, and the Rhineland. This indicates that families bearing the surname had established themselves across different parts of what was then the German Empire.
One example from this period is Karl VIELBIG (1841-1919), a prominent German architect who designed several notable buildings in Berlin, including the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church and the Berlin Cathedral.
As time progressed, individuals with the surname VIELBIG continued to make their mark in various fields, including science, literature, and the arts. For instance, Max VIELBIG (1887-1958) was a German painter and sculptor who gained recognition for his expressionist works, while Willy VIELBIG (1901-1982) was a respected German physicist who made significant contributions to the field of spectroscopy.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Vielbig
Among Census respondents with the surname Vielbig, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (11.2%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Vielbig 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 Vielbig surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White82.2% · 88
- Two or more races11.2% · 12
- Asian and Pacific Islander3.7% · 4
- Hispanic or Latino1.9% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Vielbig
Vielbig 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
#141,140
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
+2 bearers (+1.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 7,103 places
2020
#151,639
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
-11 bearers (-9.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 10,499 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #134,037 | 116 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #141,140 | 118 | 0.04 | +2 bearers (+1.7%) | Down 7,103 places |
| 2020 | #151,639 | 107 | 0.04 | -11 bearers (-9.3%) | Down 10,499 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 Vielbig 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 | #141,140 | #151,639 | -7.4% |
| Count | 118 | 107 | -9.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -10.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Vielbig bearers went from 118 to 107 (-9.3% change). The surname moved down 10,499 positions in the national ranking, going from #141,140 to #151,639.
FAQ
Vielbig surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Vielbig?
Name Census estimates that about 123 living Americans carry the surname Vielbig. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,786,621 residents.
How common is Vielbig?
Vielbig ranks #151,639 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 107 people with the surname Vielbig. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (123), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Vielbig.
Has Vielbig become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Vielbig went from 118 recorded bearers to 107. That is a decrease of 11 (-9.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #141,140 to #151,639.
What does the Census say about the background of Vielbig?
Among Census respondents with the surname Vielbig, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (11.2%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.7%). 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 Vielbig in the 2020 Census, accounting for 82.2% (88 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Vielbig appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (82.2%), Two or More Races (11.2%), Asian/Pacific Islander (3.7%). 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 Vielbig (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 Vielbig mean?
A German surname likely derived from a descriptive nickname meaning "large" or "big". 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 Vielbig (0.04 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 surname Vielbig?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.