2000
#21,998
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,099
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.41
Rare Last name
Virtue
A surname representing moral excellence, goodness, or righteousness.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,319 Americans carry the last name Virtue. That puts it at #22,865 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.38 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 259,859 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Virtue 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 Virtue with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
1.3K
1 in 259,859
Census rank
#22,865
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,150 bearers of the surname Virtue in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.38 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 22865th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Virtue, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.5%. The next largest groups are Black (6.6%) and Two or More Races (4.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Virtue
The surname Virtue is of English origin, derived from the Old French word "vertu," meaning "virtue" or "moral excellence." It first emerged in the late 13th century as a descriptive surname, likely assigned to an individual known for their virtuous or upright character.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Virtue can be found in the Lincolnshire Subsidy Rolls of 1349, which mention a John Vertu. This early spelling variation highlights the name's French roots and its gradual evolution into the modern form of "Virtue."
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the surname gained prominence in various regions of England, particularly in the counties of Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire, and Yorkshire. Records from this period show Virtues residing in places like Gainsborough, Newark, and Doncaster.
A notable historical figure bearing the surname Virtue was William Virtue (c. 1600-1670), an English clergyman and author who served as a rector in Wiltshire. His published works include "The Doctrine of the Sabbath" and "The Preacher's Manual."
In the 18th century, the name Virtue appeared in colonial America, with individuals like James Virtue (1730-1808), a merchant and landowner from Fairfax County, Virginia, and Samuel Virtue (1739-1822), a Revolutionary War soldier from Pennsylvania.
The 19th century saw the emergence of several prominent Virtues, including George Virtue (1793-1868), a Scottish publisher and engraver who established the successful firm George Virtue & Co. in London. Another notable figure was Samuel Virtue (1805-1871), an English architect and surveyor responsible for designing several churches and public buildings in Yorkshire.
As the surname spread across the English-speaking world, it took on various spellings and forms, such as Vertue and Vurtue. One noteworthy individual was Ralph Vertue (1884-1916), an English footballer who played for Manchester City and represented England at the international level.
Throughout its history, the surname Virtue has been borne by individuals from diverse backgrounds, including academics, artists, and public figures. It serves as a reminder of the enduring legacy of descriptive surnames and their ability to capture the essence of an individual's character or reputation.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Virtue
Among Census respondents with the surname Virtue, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.5%. The next largest groups are Black (6.6%) and Two or More Races (4.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Virtue 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 Virtue surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White84.5% · 972
- Black or African American6.6% · 76
- Two or more races4.2% · 48
- Hispanic or Latino3.0% · 34
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.3% · 15
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Virtue
Virtue 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
#21,862
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,189
+90 bearers (+8.2%)
Per 100,000 0.40
Rank movement Up 136 places
2020
#22,865
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,150
-39 bearers (-3.3%)
Per 100,000 0.38
Rank movement Down 1,003 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #21,998 | 1,099 | 0.41 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #21,862 | 1,189 | 0.40 | +90 bearers (+8.2%) | Up 136 places |
| 2020 | #22,865 | 1,150 | 0.38 | -39 bearers (-3.3%) | Down 1,003 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 Virtue 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 | #21,862 | #22,865 | -4.6% |
| Count | 1,189 | 1,150 | -3.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.40 | 0.38 | -3.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Virtue bearers went from 1,189 to 1,150 (-3.3% change). The surname moved down 1,003 positions in the national ranking, going from #21,862 to #22,865.
FAQ
Virtue surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Virtue?
Name Census estimates that about 1,319 living Americans carry the surname Virtue. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 259,859 residents.
How common is Virtue?
Virtue ranks #22,865 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.38 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 1,150 people with the surname Virtue. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,319), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.38 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.38 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 Virtue.
Has Virtue become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Virtue went from 1,189 recorded bearers to 1,150. That is a decrease of 39 (-3.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #21,862 to #22,865.
What does the Census say about the background of Virtue?
Among Census respondents with the surname Virtue, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.5%. The next largest groups are Black (6.6%) and Two or More Races (4.2%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Virtue in the 2020 Census, accounting for 84.5% (972 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Virtue appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (84.5%), Black (6.6%), Two or More Races (4.2%). 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 Virtue (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 Virtue mean?
A surname representing moral excellence, goodness, or righteousness. 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 Virtue (0.38 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 Virtue?
Want to know how many people have the last name Virtue? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.