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

Vigeant, 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 Vigeant surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Vigeant in America

Vigeant is the 31001st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Vigeant surname appeared 749 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 Vigeant.

We can also compare 2010 data for Vigeant 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 Vigeant

The surname Vigeant has its origins in France, specifically in the region of Normandy. It is believed to have emerged sometime around the 11th or 12th century. The name is derived from the Old French word "viger" or "vigier," which means "to watch over" or "to guard." This suggests that the earliest bearers of the name may have been employed as guards or sentries.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Vigeant can be found in the Livre Noir of the Archdiocese of Rouen, a medieval manuscript dating back to the 13th century. This document mentions a certain "Robertus Vigeant" who was a resident of the village of Yvetot in Normandy.

During the Middle Ages, the Vigeant name was particularly prevalent in the areas around Rouen and the Seine Valley. Some variations in spelling, such as "Vigent" and "Vigeent," were also common during this period.

In the late 15th century, a notable figure named Jean Vigeant was recorded as a merchant and alderman in the city of Rouen. He was born around 1450 and played a significant role in the local trade guilds.

The Vigeant name also appears in several historical records related to the French Wars of Religion in the 16th century. For instance, a certain Jacques Vigeant, born around 1520, was mentioned as a Huguenot (French Protestant) who fought alongside the forces of Admiral Gaspard de Coligny.

Another notable bearer of the Vigeant name was Pierre Vigeant, a French Catholic missionary born in 1628 in the village of Louviers. He traveled to Canada in the late 17th century and worked among the indigenous populations, particularly the Huron and Iroquois tribes.

In the 18th century, a prominent figure named François Vigeant was born in Normandy around 1710. He was a respected jurist and served as a judge in the Parlement of Rouen, one of the highest courts in France at the time.

Moving into the 19th century, a French writer and journalist named Auguste Vigeant gained recognition for his works on literature and politics. He was born in 1828 in the town of Évreux and published several books and articles during his lifetime.

Throughout its history, the Vigeant surname has maintained a strong presence in France, particularly in the regions of Normandy and the surrounding areas. While the name may have spread to other parts of the world through migration and immigration, its roots can be traced back to the northern French provinces of the Middle Ages.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Vigeant

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

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

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

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