Vincent
Derived from the Latin name Vincentius, meaning "conquering" or "victorious."
According to the 2010 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 61,696 Americans carry the last name Vincent. That puts it at #641 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 18.00 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 5,556 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Vincent surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, 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
62K
1 in 5,556
Census rank
#641
2010 decennial data
Per 100,000
18.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
53K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 53,095 bearers of the surname Vincent in its 2010 decennial surname file. At a rate of 18.00 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 641st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Vincent, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.9%. The next largest groups are Black (13.9%) and Hispanic (3.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Vincent
The surname Vincent originated in France, derived from the Latin name Vincentius, which itself comes from the Latin word vincens, meaning "conquering" or "overcoming." It can be traced back to the 3rd century AD.
The earliest recorded instances of the name come from various regions of France, including Normandy, Brittany, and Provence. In the 11th century Domesday Book, a record of landowners in England after the Norman Conquest, there are references to individuals with the surname Vincent or similar spellings like Vincentius.
One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Saint Vincent of Saragossa, a 3rd-century Christian martyr from Spain who was executed during the Diocletian Persecution. Another notable early figure was Vincent of Lérins, a 5th-century Gallic monk and author who wrote the Commonitorium, an important work on the development of Christian doctrine.
In the Middle Ages, the surname Vincent was associated with several noble families in France, including the Seigneurs de Vinci in Provence, from which the famous Renaissance polymath Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519) likely derived his surname.
Other notable historical figures with the surname Vincent include John Vincent (c. 1590-1671), an English writer and antiquary known for his work on English parish records; Gervase Vincent (1620-1698), an English Puritan minister and author; Nathaniel Vincent (1639-1697), an English Nonconformist minister and author; and Jean Vincent (1590-1649), a French Dominican friar and preacher.
The surname Vincent has also been associated with various place names in France, such as Vincennes, a commune in the eastern suburbs of Paris, and Vincentegem, a town in the Belgian province of East Flanders.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Vincent
Among Census respondents with the surname Vincent, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.9%. The next largest groups are Black (13.9%) and Hispanic (3.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Vincent bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2010 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.
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 Vincent surname at the time of the 2010 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White78.9%
- Black or African American13.9%
- Hispanic or Latino3.1%
- Two or more races2.0%
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.4%
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6%
Year on year
2010 vs 2010 Census
How has the Vincent surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
| Metric | 2010 | 2010 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #641 | #641 | 0.0% |
| Count | 53,095 | 53,095 | 0.0% |
| Per 100K | 18.00 | 18.00 | 0.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2010 Census, the number of Vincent bearers went from 53,095 to 53,095 (+0.0% change). The surname held its position in the national ranking, going from #641 to #641.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Vincent
FAQ
Vincent surname: questions and answers
How common is the last name Vincent?
The surname Vincent holds position #641 in the US Census Bureau's surname ranking, with an estimated 61,696 living bearers. It occurs at a rate of 18.00 per 100,000 Americans.
What is the ethnic background of the Vincent surname?
Among Census respondents with the surname Vincent, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.9%. The next largest groups are Black (13.9%) and Hispanic (3.1%). These figures come from the 2010 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Where does this surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These tables list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2010 Census, along with a frequency rate and self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.