Vinge last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Vinge

A Swedish surname derived from a place name.

Vinge, 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 Vinge surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Vinge in America

Vinge is the 104602nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Vinge surname appeared 171 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 Vinge.

We can also compare 2010 data for Vinge 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.

20102000Change (%)
Rank1046029180113.04%
Count171186-8.40%
Proportion per 100k0.060.07-15.38%

The history of the last name Vinge

The surname Vinge originated in Sweden and has its roots in the Old Norse language. It is derived from the word "ving," which means "wing" or "fin." This name was likely given to someone who lived near a windmill or a place with many windmills, as the blades of a windmill resemble wings in motion.

The earliest recorded use of the name Vinge can be traced back to the 14th century in various Swedish parish records. It was initially spelled as "Winge" or "Vinghe," reflecting the Old Norse pronunciation. Over time, the spelling evolved to its modern form, "Vinge."

One of the earliest documented individuals with the surname Vinge was Nils Vinge, a Swedish farmer who lived in the village of Skara in the late 15th century. Another notable bearer of the name was Olof Vinge, a merchant and shipowner from Gothenburg, who lived in the 17th century.

In the 18th century, the Vinge family played a significant role in the Swedish naval tradition. Carl Vinge (1722-1788) was a renowned naval officer and shipbuilder, responsible for designing several warships for the Swedish Navy. His son, Gustaf Vinge (1758-1830), followed in his footsteps and served as a naval captain.

The 19th century saw the rise of several prominent individuals with the Vinge surname. Erik Vinge (1819-1888) was a Swedish lawyer and politician who served as the Prime Minister of Sweden from 1876 to 1880. Carl Vinge (1856-1923) was a renowned Swedish painter known for his landscapes and portraits.

In more recent history, Vernor Vinge (born 1944) is a famous American writer and mathematician, best known for his works of science fiction and for coining the term "technological singularity." Although of Swedish descent, he was born and raised in the United States.

The Vinge surname has been found in various parts of Sweden, particularly in the regions of Västergötland, Småland, and Halland. While it is not among the most common surnames in Sweden, it has a rich history and has been carried by notable individuals across different professions and time periods.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Vinge

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

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 Vinge was:

Race/EthnicityPercentageTotal Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only92.40%158
Non-Hispanic Black Only(S)%(S)
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only2.92%5
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native0.00%0
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races2.92%5
Hispanic Origin(S)%(S)

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 Vinge has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

20102000Change (%)
White92.40%96.24%-4.07%
Black(S)%(S)%(S)%
Asian and Pacific Islander2.92%(S)%(S)%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0.00%(S)%(S)%
Two or More Races2.92%(S)%(S)%
Hispanic(S)%0.00%(S)%

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

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

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