2000
#12,929
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,179
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.81
Rare Last name
Virgin
An English surname derived from the Latin "virgo," referring to a young woman or a person of immaculate character.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,464 Americans carry the last name Virgin. That puts it at #13,522 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.72 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 139,105 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Virgin 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Virgin with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.5K
1 in 139,105
Census rank
#13,522
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,149 bearers of the surname Virgin in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.72 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13522nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Virgin, the largest self-reported group is White at 73.6%. The next largest groups are Black (12.1%) and Hispanic (9.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Virgin
Among Census respondents with the surname Virgin, the largest self-reported group is White at 73.6%. The next largest groups are Black (12.1%) and Hispanic (9.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Virgin 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 Virgin surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White73.6% · 1,581
- Black or African American12.1% · 261
- Hispanic or Latino9.6% · 207
- Two or more races3.5% · 76
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 12
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 12
Timeline
Historical Census data for Virgin
Virgin 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
#13,203
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,315
+136 bearers (+6.2%)
Per 100,000 0.78
Rank movement Down 274 places
2020
#13,522
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,149
-166 bearers (-7.2%)
Per 100,000 0.72
Rank movement Down 319 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #12,929 | 2,179 | 0.81 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #13,203 | 2,315 | 0.78 | +136 bearers (+6.2%) | Down 274 places |
| 2020 | #13,522 | 2,149 | 0.72 | -166 bearers (-7.2%) | Down 319 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 Virgin 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 | #13,203 | #13,522 | -2.4% |
| Count | 2,315 | 2,149 | -7.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.78 | 0.72 | -7.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Virgin bearers went from 2,315 to 2,149 (-7.2% change). The surname moved down 319 positions in the national ranking, going from #13,203 to #13,522.
FAQ
Virgin surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Virgin?
Name Census estimates that about 2,464 living Americans carry the surname Virgin. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 139,105 residents.
How common is Virgin?
Virgin ranks #13,522 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.72 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 2,149 people with the surname Virgin. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,464), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.72 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.72 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 Virgin.
Has Virgin become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Virgin went from 2,315 recorded bearers to 2,149. That is a decrease of 166 (-7.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #13,203 to #13,522.
What does the Census say about the background of Virgin?
Among Census respondents with the surname Virgin, the largest self-reported group is White at 73.6%. The next largest groups are Black (12.1%) and Hispanic (9.6%). 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 Virgin in the 2020 Census, accounting for 73.6% (1,581 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Virgin appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (73.6%), Black (12.1%), Hispanic (9.6%). 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 Virgin (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 Virgin mean?
An English surname derived from the Latin "virgo," referring to a young woman or a person of immaculate character. 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 Virgin (0.72 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 are called Virgin?
See how common the surname Virgin is on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.