2000
#14,012
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,975
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.73
Rare Last name
Virden
A locational surname derived from a place name in England meaning "fierdi's valley" in Old English.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,181 Americans carry the last name Virden. That puts it at #14,931 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.64 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 157,155 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Virden 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
2.2K
1 in 157,155
Census rank
#14,931
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,902 bearers of the surname Virden in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.64 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14931st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Virden, the largest self-reported group is White at 77.5%. The next largest groups are Black (12.3%) and Two or More Races (4.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Virden
The surname Virden is of English origin, derived from a place name situated in the county of Shropshire. The name is thought to have originated from the Old English words "fyrd" meaning an army or military force, and "denu" meaning a valley or deep, wooded glen. Thus, the name Virden likely referred to someone who lived in the valley where soldiers or a military force was stationed.
The earliest known record of the name Virden can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Firdene." This entry suggests that the name was already well-established in the area by the late 11th century.
During the medieval period, various spellings of the name were used, including Vyrdyn, Virdene, and Vurdene. These variations reflect the evolution of the English language and the influence of regional dialects.
One of the earliest recorded individuals bearing the surname Virden was Roger de Vyrdyn, who was mentioned in the Shropshire Assize Rolls of 1292. This document provides evidence of the name's continued presence in the region during the 13th century.
In the 16th century, the Virden family held land and property in the parish of Worthen, Shropshire. Notable members from this period include John Virden (c. 1520-1598), a prominent landowner and farmer, and his son, Thomas Virden (c. 1550-1625), who served as a local magistrate.
The name Virden also has connections to the neighbouring county of Staffordshire. In the 17th century, a branch of the family settled in the village of Kinver, where they established themselves as prominent landowners and merchants. One notable figure from this line was Robert Virden (1675-1741), a successful wool trader and philanthropist who funded the construction of a local school.
In the 18th century, the Virden surname spread to other parts of England, particularly the Midlands and northern counties. William Virden (1712-1789), a Yorkshire-born clergyman and scholar, made significant contributions to the field of theology and was widely respected for his academic works.
Another notable individual bearing the Virden name was Samuel Virden (1792-1867), a successful businessman and industrialist from Birmingham. He played a key role in the development of the city's metalworking industry and served as a local councilor and philanthropist.
As the Virden family dispersed across England over the centuries, the name has maintained its distinct identity and historical roots in the county of Shropshire, where it first emerged as a place name reflecting the region's military and geographic features.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Virden
Among Census respondents with the surname Virden, the largest self-reported group is White at 77.5%. The next largest groups are Black (12.3%) and Two or More Races (4.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Virden 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 Virden surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White77.5% · 1,474
- Black or African American12.3% · 234
- Two or more races4.7% · 90
- Hispanic or Latino3.2% · 60
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.8% · 34
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 10
Timeline
Historical Census data for Virden
Virden 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
#15,120
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,951
-24 bearers (-1.2%)
Per 100,000 0.66
Rank movement Down 1,108 places
2020
#14,931
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,902
-49 bearers (-2.5%)
Per 100,000 0.64
Rank movement Up 189 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #14,012 | 1,975 | 0.73 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #15,120 | 1,951 | 0.66 | -24 bearers (-1.2%) | Down 1,108 places |
| 2020 | #14,931 | 1,902 | 0.64 | -49 bearers (-2.5%) | Up 189 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 Virden 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 | #15,120 | #14,931 | 1.3% |
| Count | 1,951 | 1,902 | -2.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.66 | 0.64 | -3.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Virden bearers went from 1,951 to 1,902 (-2.5% change). The surname moved up 189 positions in the national ranking, going from #15,120 to #14,931.
FAQ
Virden surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Virden?
Name Census estimates that about 2,181 living Americans carry the surname Virden. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 157,155 residents.
How common is Virden?
Virden ranks #14,931 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.64 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 1,902 people with the surname Virden. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,181), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.64 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.64 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 Virden.
Has Virden become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Virden went from 1,951 recorded bearers to 1,902. That is a decrease of 49 (-2.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #15,120 to #14,931.
What does the Census say about the background of Virden?
Among Census respondents with the surname Virden, the largest self-reported group is White at 77.5%. The next largest groups are Black (12.3%) and Two or More Races (4.7%). 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 Virden in the 2020 Census, accounting for 77.5% (1,474 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Virden appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (77.5%), Black (12.3%), Two or More Races (4.7%). 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 Virden (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 Virden mean?
A locational surname derived from a place name in England meaning "fierdi's valley" in Old English. 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 Virden (0.64 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 Virden?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.