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

Vigilante, 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 Vigilante surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Vigilante in America

Vigilante is the 31790th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Vigilante surname appeared 726 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 Vigilante.

We can also compare 2010 data for Vigilante 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 Vigilante

The surname Vigilante originated in Italy during the late medieval period, deriving from the Italian word "vigilante" which means "watchman" or "guard." It is believed to have first emerged as an occupational surname for individuals who worked as night watchmen or guardians, responsible for patrolling towns and villages to maintain order and security.

The earliest known records of the Vigilante surname can be traced back to the 14th century in various regions of Italy, particularly in the northern regions such as Lombardy and Veneto. It is also believed that the name may have been used in certain parts of southern Italy, including Naples and Sicily.

One of the earliest documented instances of the Vigilante surname appears in a 1392 census record from the city of Verona, where a man named Giovanni Vigilante is listed as a resident. Another notable early reference is found in a 1425 manuscript from the town of Mantua, which mentions a certain Matteo Vigilante as a local landowner.

Throughout the 15th and 16th centuries, the Vigilante surname gained prominence in various parts of Italy. In 1498, a man named Stefano Vigilante from Milan was recorded as a member of the city's prestigious guild of merchants. Another notable figure was Girolamo Vigilante, born in Naples in 1542, who served as a military commander during the Italian Wars of the late Renaissance period.

As the name spread across Italy, variations in spelling and pronunciation emerged, including Vigilanti, Vigliante, and Viglianti. Some of these variations were likely influenced by regional dialects and local place names.

In the 17th century, the Vigilante surname began to appear beyond Italy's borders, with individuals bearing the name settling in other parts of Europe and eventually in the Americas. One notable example is Antonio Vigilante, a Neapolitan merchant who emigrated to Spain in the early 1600s and established a successful trading company in Seville.

Over the centuries, several notable individuals have carried the Vigilante surname, including:

1. Bartolomeo Vigilante (1567-1638), an Italian painter and architect from Verona, known for his works in churches and palaces across northern Italy.

2. Giovanni Battista Vigilante (1692-1758), an Italian composer and violinist from Naples, who contributed to the development of the Neapolitan school of opera.

3. Tommaso Vigilante (1802-1879), an Italian politician and lawyer from Salerno, who served as a member of the Parliament of the Kingdom of Italy.

4. Emilio Vigilante (1889-1964), an Italian sculptor and medallist from Rome, renowned for his works commemorating historical events and prominent figures.

5. Antonio Vigilante (1914-2003), an Italian-American artist and painter from Naples, known for his vibrant depictions of urban life in New York City.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Vigilante

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

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

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

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