2000
#127,186
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 124
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Viol
A surname derived from the French word "viol," meaning a stringed musical instrument similar to a violin.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 136 Americans carry the last name Viol. That puts it at #142,788 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,520,252 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Viol 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
136
1 in 2,520,252
Census rank
#142,788
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
119
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 119 bearers of the surname Viol in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142788th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Viol, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.2%) and Two or More Races (3.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Viol
The surname VIOL is believed to have originated in France, likely during the medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Old French word "viol," which referred to a type of stringed instrument similar to a viol or violin. This suggests that the name may have been initially bestowed upon someone who played or crafted such instruments.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname VIOL can be found in the medieval records of Normandy, France, where a Thomas VIOL was mentioned in a document dated 1195. Another early example comes from the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086, which lists a landowner named Radulfus VIOL.
During the 13th century, the surname VIOL appeared in various records across France, including those of the city of Paris. In 1274, a Jean VIOL was listed as a resident of the parish of Saint-Germain-l'Auxerrois. Around the same time, a family bearing the name VIOL was recorded in the region of Burgundy.
In England, the surname VIOL can be traced back to the 14th century, likely introduced by Norman settlers after the conquest in 1066. One notable individual was John VIOL (c. 1370 - 1437), a renowned English composer and music theorist who served as a chaplain to King Henry IV and King Henry V.
Another prominent figure was Guillaume VIOL (1555 - 1624), a French composer and lutenist who served as a court musician to King Henry IV of France. His compositions for lute and voice were highly regarded during his time.
In the 17th century, the VIOL surname was also present in the Netherlands, where a notable bearer was Pieter VIOL (1601 - 1673), a Dutch Golden Age painter known for his portraits and genre scenes.
As the surname spread across Europe, it underwent various spelling variations, including VIOLE, VIOLL, and VYOLL, reflecting regional dialects and linguistic differences.
Throughout history, the VIOL surname has been associated with individuals involved in music, arts, and craftsmanship, perhaps reflecting its origins related to instrument making or performance.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Viol
Among Census respondents with the surname Viol, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.2%) and Two or More Races (3.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Viol 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 Viol surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White82.4% · 98
- Hispanic or Latino9.2% · 11
- Two or more races3.4% · 4
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.5% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native2.5% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Viol
Viol 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
#137,327
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 122
-2 bearers (-1.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 10,141 places
2020
#142,788
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
-3 bearers (-2.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 5,461 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #127,186 | 124 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #137,327 | 122 | 0.04 | -2 bearers (-1.6%) | Down 10,141 places |
| 2020 | #142,788 | 119 | 0.04 | -3 bearers (-2.5%) | Down 5,461 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 Viol 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 | #137,327 | #142,788 | -4.0% |
| Count | 122 | 119 | -2.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -0.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Viol bearers went from 122 to 119 (-2.5% change). The surname moved down 5,461 positions in the national ranking, going from #137,327 to #142,788.
FAQ
Viol surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Viol?
Name Census estimates that about 136 living Americans carry the surname Viol. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,520,252 residents.
How common is Viol?
Viol ranks #142,788 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 119 people with the surname Viol. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (136), 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 Viol.
Has Viol become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Viol went from 122 recorded bearers to 119. That is a decrease of 3 (-2.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #137,327 to #142,788.
What does the Census say about the background of Viol?
Among Census respondents with the surname Viol, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.2%) and Two or More Races (3.4%). 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 Viol in the 2020 Census, accounting for 82.4% (98 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Viol appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (82.4%), Hispanic (9.2%), Two or More Races (3.4%). 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 Viol (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 Viol mean?
A surname derived from the French word "viol," meaning a stringed musical instrument similar to a violin. 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 Viol (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 share the surname Viol?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.