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

Viers, 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 Viers surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Viers in America

Viers is the 12785th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Viers surname appeared 2,413 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Viers.

We can also compare 2010 data for Viers 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 Viers

The surname VIERS is believed to have originated in France during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old French word "viers," which means "curved" or "twisted." This suggests that the name may have been initially given as a descriptive nickname to someone with a distinguishing physical characteristic, such as a crooked or bent posture.

The earliest known record of the name VIERS dates back to the 13th century, where it was found in various medieval documents and charters from the regions of Normandy and Picardy in northern France. Some of these early records include references to individuals with the surname VIERS living in villages or towns with similar-sounding names, such as Vierzy, Vierzon, or Vierves.

During the 14th century, the name VIERS began to spread beyond northern France, appearing in historical records from other parts of the country. One notable example is Jean Viers, a prominent merchant and landowner who lived in the city of Lyon in the late 1300s.

As the centuries passed, the VIERS surname continued to be documented in various regions of France. In the 16th century, a notable figure bearing this name was Pierre Viers, a Catholic priest and theologian who lived from 1515 to 1587. He was known for his writings on religious philosophy and his involvement in the Counter-Reformation movement.

In the 17th century, a branch of the VIERS family emigrated from France to the New World, settling in what is now the province of Quebec in Canada. One of the earliest recorded instances of this surname in North America was Jacques Viers, who was born in 1642 and became a prosperous farmer in the region.

Another significant individual with the surname VIERS was Louis Viers, a French military officer and explorer who lived from 1671 to 1736. He played a crucial role in the early exploration and settlement of the Mississippi River Valley region in North America.

During the 18th and 19th centuries, the VIERS surname continued to be found in various parts of Europe, particularly in France, Belgium, and the Netherlands. One notable bearer of this name was Émile Viers, a French painter who lived from 1805 to 1872 and was known for his landscape and genre paintings.

Overall, the surname VIERS has a rich history that spans centuries and crosses multiple continents. While its origins can be traced back to medieval France, the name has since been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including merchants, clergy, explorers, and artists.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Viers

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

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

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

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