2010
#159,712
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.03
Very Rare Last name
Viere
A variant of the Germanic name Viere, perhaps derived from a personal name or place.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 122 Americans carry the last name Viere. That puts it at #152,339 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,809,462 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Viere 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
122
1 in 2,809,462
Census rank
#152,339
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
106
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 106 bearers of the surname Viere in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152339th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Viere, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Viere
The surname Viere has its origins in the German language and can be traced back to the 13th century. It is believed to have originated in the region of Bavaria, particularly in the city of Nuremberg. The name Viere is derived from the Old High German word "fier," which means "four," and it is thought to have been a descriptive surname given to families or individuals with some connection to the number four.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the surname Viere can be found in the Nuremberg City Archives, where a document from the year 1297 lists a certain "Johannes Viere" as a resident of the city. This document provides evidence of the surname's existence and usage during the late medieval period in Germany.
In the 15th century, the name Viere appeared in several historical records, including the Nuremberg Chronicle, a famous illustrated world history book published in 1493. The book mentions a "Hans Viere" as a prominent merchant and guild member in the city of Nuremberg.
During the 16th century, the Viere family gained prominence in the region of Franconia, which encompasses parts of modern-day Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg. Records from this period mention several individuals with the surname Viere, including Johann Viere (1524-1597), a notable theologian and reformer who played a significant role in the Protestant Reformation.
Another notable figure bearing the Viere surname was Christoph Viere (1598-1663), a German composer and organist from Nuremberg. He was renowned for his contributions to the development of Protestant church music during the Baroque era.
In the 18th century, the Viere family expanded beyond Germany, with some members migrating to other parts of Europe and even to the Americas. One such individual was Johann Georg Viere (1720-1788), a German immigrant who settled in Pennsylvania and became a prominent farmer and landowner in the colony.
Throughout the 19th century, the Viere surname continued to be found in various regions of Germany, with several individuals making notable contributions in fields such as science, education, and the arts. One example is Karl Viere (1818-1892), a German naturalist and explorer who conducted extensive research on the flora and fauna of South America.
While the surname Viere is not among the most common in modern times, it has a rich history and can be traced back to its origins in medieval Germany, where it was likely used as a descriptive surname related to the number four. Despite its relative rarity, the Viere name has been borne by individuals who have made significant contributions in various fields throughout history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Viere
Among Census respondents with the surname Viere, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Viere 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 Viere surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.5% · 98
- Hispanic or Latino4.7% · 5
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.9% · 2
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Viere
Viere appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#152,339
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
+5 bearers (+5.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 7,373 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #159,712 | 101 | 0.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #152,339 | 106 | 0.04 | +5 bearers (+5.0%) | Up 7,373 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 Viere 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 | #159,712 | #152,339 | 4.6% |
| Count | 101 | 106 | 5.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 18.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Viere bearers went from 101 to 106 (+5.0% change). The surname moved up 7,373 positions in the national ranking, going from #159,712 to #152,339.
FAQ
Viere surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Viere?
Name Census estimates that about 122 living Americans carry the surname Viere. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,809,462 residents.
How common is Viere?
Viere ranks #152,339 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 106 people with the surname Viere. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (122), 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 Viere.
Has Viere become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Viere went from 101 recorded bearers to 106. That is an increase of 5 (+5.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #159,712 to #152,339.
What does the Census say about the background of Viere?
Among Census respondents with the surname Viere, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.9%). 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 Viere in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.5% (98 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Viere appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.5%), Hispanic (4.7%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.9%). 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 Viere (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 Viere mean?
A variant of the Germanic name Viere, perhaps derived from a personal name or place. 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 Viere (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 common is the surname Viere?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people are called Viere at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.