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

Viles, 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 Viles surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Viles in America

Viles is the 17709th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Viles surname appeared 1,584 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 Viles.

We can also compare 2010 data for Viles 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 Viles

The surname VILES is believed to have originated in England, possibly deriving from the Old English word "vile," meaning "vile" or "wicked." It may have been a descriptive surname initially given to someone with a disreputable or undesirable character trait.

Another theory suggests the name VILES could be a variant spelling of the French surname "Villes," which stems from the Old French word "ville," meaning "town" or "village." This surname may have been initially borne by someone who lived in or near a particular town or village.

In the Domesday Book of 1086, a record of landholders in England commissioned by William the Conqueror, there are entries for individuals with the surname VILES or similar spellings, such as "Vilein" and "Vilain." These early records indicate the surname was present in parts of England shortly after the Norman Conquest.

One of the earliest recorded bearers of the surname VILES was John Viles, who was born in Somerset, England, in the late 13th century. Other early examples include William Viles, born in Gloucestershire, England, around 1320, and Thomas Viles, born in Oxfordshire, England, circa 1375.

In the 16th century, the surname VILES was found in various parts of England, including Dorset, where the village of Viles Combe (or Viles Coombe) was located. This place name may be related to the surname's origins.

Notable individuals with the surname VILES throughout history include:

1. Jonas Viles (1590-1657), an English clergyman and writer who served as the Rector of Weddington in Warwickshire.

2. William Viles (1700-1772), a British soldier and military engineer who served in the American colonies during the French and Indian War.

3. Elizabeth Viles (1756-1836), an English author and poet who published several works, including "The Miseries of an Author's Wife" and "The Beauties of Creation."

4. Henry Viles (1812-1887), a British architect and surveyor who designed several notable buildings in London and the surrounding areas.

5. Charles Viles (1865-1942), an American businessman and philanthropist who founded the Viles Arboretum in Augusta, Maine.

While these are just a few examples, the surname VILES has a long history in England and other parts of the United Kingdom, as well as in North America, where many bearers of the name migrated in the 17th and 18th centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Viles

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

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

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

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