2000
#8,031
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,809
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.41
Rare Last name
Vineyard
An occupational surname referring to a person who owned, worked in, or lived near a vineyard.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,359 Americans carry the last name Vineyard. That puts it at #8,341 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.27 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 78,631 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Vineyard 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
4.4K
1 in 78,631
Census rank
#8,341
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,801 bearers of the surname Vineyard in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.27 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8341st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Vineyard, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.4%) and Black (4.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Vineyard
The surname VINEYARD originated in England and traces back to the 12th century. It derives from the Old English word "vineyerd", which referred to a cultivated area for growing grapes and making wine. The name likely emerged as a locational surname, given to people who lived near or worked at a vineyard.
Early recorded instances of the surname appear in tax rolls and other medieval records. One of the earliest known bearers was Reginald de la Vyneyerd, mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1203. The "de la" prefix indicated he lived near or owned a vineyard. Other early spellings included Vyneyerd, Vyneyard, and Vyneyarde.
During the 13th century, the surname spread across southern England, particularly in areas suitable for grape cultivation like Sussex and Hampshire. The Hundred Rolls of 1273 recorded a John atte Vyneyerde in Oxfordshire. The "atte" prefix meant "at the", further reinforcing the name's locational origins.
As vineyards declined in England due to climatic changes, the surname transitioned from a locational name to an occupational one, denoting someone who worked with grapes or wine. Notable early bearers included Walter le Vineter (the Vinedresser), recorded in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex in 1327.
Throughout history, the VINEYARD surname has been borne by several notable individuals. Sir Thomas Vynyard (1548-1624) was an English soldier and Member of Parliament. John Vinyard (1628-1682) was an early settler in Virginia and a member of the House of Burgesses. Reverend Samuel Vinyard (1680-1753) was an Anglican priest and author from Gloucestershire.
Other noteworthy bearers include Thomas Vynor (1588-1663), a prominent merchant and sheriff of London, and Captain James Vinor (1762-1827), a British naval officer who served during the Napoleonic Wars. The variant spelling "Viner" has also produced several distinguished individuals over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Vineyard
Among Census respondents with the surname Vineyard, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.4%) and Black (4.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Vineyard 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 Vineyard surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White86.0% · 3,267
- Two or more races4.4% · 167
- Black or African American4.4% · 166
- Hispanic or Latino3.7% · 140
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 35
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 26
Timeline
Historical Census data for Vineyard
Vineyard appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#8,467
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,901
+92 bearers (+2.4%)
Per 100,000 1.32
Rank movement Down 436 places
2020
#8,341
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,801
-100 bearers (-2.6%)
Per 100,000 1.27
Rank movement Up 126 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,031 | 3,809 | 1.41 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,467 | 3,901 | 1.32 | +92 bearers (+2.4%) | Down 436 places |
| 2020 | #8,341 | 3,801 | 1.27 | -100 bearers (-2.6%) | Up 126 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 Vineyard 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 | #8,467 | #8,341 | 1.5% |
| Count | 3,901 | 3,801 | -2.6% |
| Per 100K | 1.32 | 1.27 | -3.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Vineyard bearers went from 3,901 to 3,801 (-2.6% change). The surname moved up 126 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,467 to #8,341.
FAQ
Vineyard surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Vineyard?
Name Census estimates that about 4,359 living Americans carry the surname Vineyard. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 78,631 residents.
How common is Vineyard?
Vineyard ranks #8,341 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.27 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,801 people with the surname Vineyard. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,359), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.27 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.27 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Vineyard.
Has Vineyard become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Vineyard went from 3,901 recorded bearers to 3,801. That is a decrease of 100 (-2.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #8,467 to #8,341.
What does the Census say about the background of Vineyard?
Among Census respondents with the surname Vineyard, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.4%) and Black (4.4%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Vineyard in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.0% (3,267 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Vineyard appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (86.0%), Two or More Races (4.4%), Black (4.4%). 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 Vineyard (2000, 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 Vineyard mean?
An occupational surname referring to a person who owned, worked in, or lived near a vineyard. 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 Vineyard (1.27 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 Americans have the surname Vineyard?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.