2000
#16,135
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,648
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.61
Rare Last name
Viray
A Filipino surname derived from the Spanish word "virar," meaning "to turn or change course."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,774 Americans carry the last name Viray. That puts it at #12,283 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.81 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 123,560 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Viray 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
2.8K
1 in 123,560
Census rank
#12,283
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,419 bearers of the surname Viray in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.81 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 12283rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Viray, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 86.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.2%) and Two or More Races (5.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Viray
The surname Viray is believed to have originated in the Philippines during the Spanish colonial period. The name is likely derived from the Spanish word "virrey," which means "viceroy" or a representative of the Spanish monarch. This suggests that the name may have been given to individuals who held important administrative or governmental positions under the Spanish rule.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Viray can be found in the Philippines' national archives, which contain documents dating back to the 16th century. These records often mention individuals with the name Viray, indicating that the name has been in use for several centuries.
In the 17th century, a prominent figure named Andres Viray (1630-1695) was a renowned poet and playwright in the Philippines. His works were widely acclaimed and contributed significantly to the development of Philippine literature during the Spanish colonial era.
Another notable individual with the surname Viray was Juan Viray (1725-1798), a renowned artist and sculptor who created many religious artworks and statues that adorned churches and cathedrals throughout the Philippines during the 18th century.
During the 19th century, the name Viray gained further prominence with the birth of Manuel Viray (1820-1892), a respected educator and author who wrote several textbooks and educational materials that were widely used in schools across the Philippines.
In the early 20th century, a prominent figure named Mariano Viray (1895-1968) played a significant role in the Philippine independence movement. He was a lawyer, politician, and activist who advocated for the Philippines' separation from the United States and the establishment of an independent nation.
The name Viray has also been associated with various place names in the Philippines, such as Barangay Viray, a small village located in the province of Laguna. This suggests that the name may have been derived from a specific geographic location or settlement.
While the surname Viray has its roots in the Philippines, it has since been adopted by individuals of different nationalities and backgrounds, reflecting the global spread and diversity of the name's origins.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Viray
Among Census respondents with the surname Viray, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 86.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.2%) and Two or More Races (5.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Viray 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 Viray surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander86.3% · 2,088
- Hispanic or Latino5.2% · 126
- Two or more races5.2% · 125
- White2.9% · 70
- Black or African American0.3% · 7
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Viray
Viray 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
#13,627
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,222
+574 bearers (+34.8%)
Per 100,000 0.75
Rank movement Up 2,508 places
2020
#12,283
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,419
+197 bearers (+8.9%)
Per 100,000 0.81
Rank movement Up 1,344 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #16,135 | 1,648 | 0.61 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #13,627 | 2,222 | 0.75 | +574 bearers (+34.8%) | Up 2,508 places |
| 2020 | #12,283 | 2,419 | 0.81 | +197 bearers (+8.9%) | Up 1,344 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 Viray 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 | #13,627 | #12,283 | 9.9% |
| Count | 2,222 | 2,419 | 8.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.75 | 0.81 | 7.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Viray bearers went from 2,222 to 2,419 (+8.9% change). The surname moved up 1,344 positions in the national ranking, going from #13,627 to #12,283.
FAQ
Viray surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Viray?
Name Census estimates that about 2,774 living Americans carry the surname Viray. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 123,560 residents.
How common is Viray?
Viray ranks #12,283 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.81 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 2,419 people with the surname Viray. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,774), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.81 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.81 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 Viray.
Has Viray become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Viray went from 2,222 recorded bearers to 2,419. That is an increase of 197 (+8.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #13,627 to #12,283.
What does the Census say about the background of Viray?
Among Census respondents with the surname Viray, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 86.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.2%) and Two or More Races (5.2%). 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?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest self-reported group for the surname Viray in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.3% (2,088 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Viray appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (86.3%), Hispanic (5.2%), Two or More Races (5.2%). 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 Viray (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 Viray mean?
A Filipino surname derived from the Spanish word "virar," meaning "to turn or change course." 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 Viray (0.81 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 Viray?
Want to know how many people have the surname Viray? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.