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

Viger, 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 Viger surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Viger in America

Viger is the 47356th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Viger surname appeared 448 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 Viger.

We can also compare 2010 data for Viger 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 Viger

The surname Viger has its origins in France, where it was derived from the Old French word 'vigier' or 'viguier', which referred to a particular type of feudal official or magistrate. The name can be traced back to the medieval period, and it is believed to have originated in the southern regions of France, particularly in the areas around Toulouse and Marseille.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Viger can be found in the Cartulaire de Saint-Victor de Marseille, a medieval manuscript dating back to the 11th century. This document mentions several individuals with the surname Viger, suggesting that the name was already well-established in the region at that time.

During the Middle Ages, the Viger family held significant positions and influence in various parts of southern France. In the 13th century, a prominent member of the family, Jacques Viger (c. 1220-1290), served as the Viguier of Marseille, a position of considerable authority within the city's administration.

Another notable figure bearing the Viger surname was Pierre Viger (c. 1450-1520), a French writer and poet who lived during the Renaissance period. His works, including a collection of poems titled "Les Fleurs du Mal," gained widespread recognition and contributed to the cultural landscape of the time.

In the 18th century, Jacques Viger (1787-1858) was a prominent Canadian historian and archivist. Born in Montreal, he dedicated his life to preserving and documenting the history and heritage of his native city and played a crucial role in establishing the Société Historique de Montréal.

The name Viger has also been associated with several place names in France, such as Viger, a commune in the Ardèche department, and Vigier, a commune in the Haute-Vienne department. These place names may have influenced the spelling variations of the surname over time.

Other notable individuals with the surname Viger include Louis-Michel Viger (1735-1809), a Canadian politician and seigneur, and Denis-Benjamin Viger (1774-1861), a Canadian lawyer and politician who served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Lower Canada.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Viger

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

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

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

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