2010
#117,480
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 148
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Vilma
A surname derived from a Germanic name meaning "resolute protection".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 141 Americans carry the last name Vilma. That puts it at #139,785 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,430,882 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Vilma surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
141
1 in 2,430,882
Census rank
#139,785
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
123
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 123 bearers of the surname Vilma in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 139785th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Vilma, the largest self-reported group is Black at 65.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (25.2%) and Two or More Races (4.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Vilma
The surname Vilma has its origins in the Baltic region, specifically in Lithuania. It is derived from the Lithuanian word "vilma," which means "wave" or "billow." The name likely emerged during the 13th or 14th century when Lithuanian surnames began to take shape.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Vilma surname can be found in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania's tax records from the 16th century. These records often listed individuals by their occupation or place of residence, and it is possible that the name Vilma was initially given to someone living near a body of water or associated with maritime activities.
During the Middle Ages, the Vilma surname appeared in various historical documents and manuscripts from the region. For instance, there are references to individuals with this surname in the chronicles of the Teutonic Knights, who had frequent interactions with the Grand Duchy of Lithuania.
In the 18th century, a notable bearer of the Vilma surname was Jokubas Vilma, a Lithuanian peasant leader who played a significant role in the Kosciuszko Uprising against the Russian Empire in 1794. His resistance efforts were documented in several contemporary accounts.
Another individual of historical significance bearing the Vilma surname was Antanas Vilma (1856-1932), a Lithuanian poet and playwright. He was a prominent figure in the Lithuanian National Revival movement and contributed to the preservation and promotion of Lithuanian culture and language.
In the 20th century, Kazimieras Vilma (1902-1963) was a Lithuanian-American sculptor and artist. He emigrated to the United States in the 1920s and became known for his sculptures depicting Lithuanian folk themes and traditions.
It is worth noting that variations of the Vilma surname emerged over time, such as Vilmas, Vilmaitė, and Vilmauskas. These variations often indicated different branches of the same family or specific locations where the name originated.
While the surname Vilma is predominantly found in Lithuania and among Lithuanian diaspora communities, it has also spread to other parts of the world due to migration and intermarriage. However, its roots can be traced back to the Baltic region and the rich cultural heritage of Lithuania.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Vilma
Among Census respondents with the surname Vilma, the largest self-reported group is Black at 65.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (25.2%) and Two or More Races (4.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Vilma bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Vilma surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American65.9% · 81
- Hispanic or Latino25.2% · 31
- Two or more races4.1% · 5
- White3.3% · 4
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.6% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Vilma
Vilma appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#139,785
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 123
-25 bearers (-16.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 22,305 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #117,480 | 148 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #139,785 | 123 | 0.04 | -25 bearers (-16.9%) | Down 22,305 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Vilma surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #117,480 | #139,785 | -19.0% |
| Count | 148 | 123 | -16.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.04 | -17.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Vilma bearers went from 148 to 123 (-16.9% change). The surname moved down 22,305 positions in the national ranking, going from #117,480 to #139,785.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Vilma
FAQ
Vilma surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Vilma?
Name Census estimates that about 141 living Americans carry the surname Vilma. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,430,882 residents.
How common is Vilma?
Vilma ranks #139,785 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 123 people with the surname Vilma. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (141), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Vilma.
Has Vilma become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Vilma went from 148 recorded bearers to 123. That is a decrease of 25 (-16.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #117,480 to #139,785.
What does the Census say about the background of Vilma?
Among Census respondents with the surname Vilma, the largest self-reported group is Black at 65.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (25.2%) and Two or More Races (4.1%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Vilma in the 2020 Census, accounting for 65.9% (81 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Vilma appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (65.9%), Hispanic (25.2%), Two or More Races (4.1%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Vilma (2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Vilma mean?
A surname derived from a Germanic name meaning "resolute protection". The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Vilma (0.04 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the last name Vilma?
See how many Americans have the surname Vilma on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.