Virgin last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Virgin

An English surname derived from the Latin "virgo," referring to a young woman or a person of immaculate character.

Virgin, 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 Virgin surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Virgin in America

Virgin is the 13203rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Virgin surname appeared 2,315 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Virgin.

We can also compare 2010 data for Virgin 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.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 13203 12929 2.10%
Count 2,315 2,179 6.05%
Proportion per 100k 0.78 0.81 -3.77%

The history of the last name Virgin

The surname "Virgin" is of English origin, derived from the Old French word "virge" or "verge," meaning "rod" or "wand." It is believed to have originated as an occupational surname during the medieval period, referring to individuals who carried a rod or staff as part of their profession, such as officials or law enforcers.

In the 12th and 13th centuries, the surname began appearing in various records and documents across England. One of the earliest known references can be found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which mentions a "John le Virger" in Oxfordshire. The name is also present in the Lay Subsidy Rolls of 1334, with entries for a "Thomas le Verger" in Gloucestershire and a "Robert le Virger" in Wiltshire.

During the Middle Ages, the surname experienced variations in spelling, including "Virger," "Verger," and "Virgour." These variations likely stemmed from regional dialects and the inconsistencies in spelling practices at the time.

Notable individuals bearing the surname "Virgin" include:

  1. William Virgin (c. 1390 - c. 1460), an English politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Northamptonshire in the 15th century.

  2. John Virgin (c. 1520 - c. 1590), an English theologian and clergyman who served as the Archdeacon of Nottingham during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.

  3. Robert Virgin (1598 - 1662), an English clergyman and academic who held the position of Master of Trinity Hall, Cambridge, in the mid-17th century.

  4. Samuel Virgin (1635 - 1718), a Puritan minister who immigrated to New England and served as the pastor of the First Church of Salisbury, Massachusetts, for over 50 years.

  5. Edward Virgin (1712 - 1786), a British naval officer who participated in the Seven Years' War and achieved the rank of Rear Admiral in the Royal Navy.

While the surname "Virgin" has its roots in medieval England, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and settlement. However, its origins can be traced back to the occupational titles of those who carried rods or wands as part of their duties in the Middle Ages.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Virgin

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

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 Virgin was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 75.46% 1,747
Non-Hispanic Black Only 13.26% 307
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only 0.39% 9
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.65% 15
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 2.16% 50
Hispanic Origin 8.08% 187

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

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 75.46% 80.95% -7.02%
Black 13.26% 12.12% 8.98%
Asian and Pacific Islander 0.39% 0.23% 51.61%
American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.65% 0.69% -5.97%
Two or More Races 2.16% 1.06% 68.32%
Hispanic 8.08% 4.96% 47.85%

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

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

Reference this page

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If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!

"Virgin last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on December 26, 2024. http://namecensus.com/last-names/virgin-surname-popularity/.

"Virgin last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/virgin-surname-popularity/. Accessed 26 December, 2024

Virgin last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/virgin-surname-popularity/.

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