2010
#148,347
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Visan
A surname deriving from Romanian indicating a origin in or relation to the city of Viseu.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 132 Americans carry the last name Visan. That puts it at #145,757 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,596,624 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Visan 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 Visan with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
132
1 in 2,596,624
Census rank
#145,757
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
115
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 115 bearers of the surname Visan in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 145757th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Visan, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.0%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (5.2%) and Two or More Races (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Visan
The surname VISAN originates from the Iberian Peninsula, specifically Spain, during the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Latin word "via," meaning "road" or "path," combined with the suffix "-an," suggesting an occupational origin. This indicates that the name was likely associated with individuals who worked along roads or traveled extensively.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name VISAN can be found in the "Libro de Repartimiento," a document from the 13th century that recorded the distribution of land and properties in the Kingdom of Valencia after the Christian conquest. This suggests that individuals bearing this surname were present in the region during that time.
In the 14th century, a notable figure named Juan VISAN was mentioned in records from the city of Barcelona, where he held a prominent position as a merchant. His influence and success in trade contributed to the recognition of the VISAN surname within the mercantile community.
During the 16th century, the VISAN family established a presence in the town of Vich, located in the region of Catalonia. Historical documents from this era reference a prominent landowner named Pedro VISAN, who played a significant role in the local community.
In the 17th century, the VISAN surname gained further recognition with the birth of Francisca VISAN (1620-1685), a celebrated Spanish painter known for her religious artworks. Her artistic contributions added cultural significance to the name.
Another notable individual was Miguel VISAN (1740-1810), a Spanish military officer who participated in the Peninsular War against the French forces of Napoleon. His bravery and leadership during this conflict earned him recognition and honors, further elevating the reputation of the VISAN name.
As the centuries progressed, the VISAN surname continued to spread across Spain and its territories, with individuals bearing this name contributing to various fields, including literature, politics, and academia. The name's enduring presence in historical records and its association with notable figures solidified its place in Spanish cultural heritage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Visan
Among Census respondents with the surname Visan, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.0%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (5.2%) and Two or More Races (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Visan 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 Visan surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.0% · 107
- Asian and Pacific Islander5.2% · 6
- Two or more races1.7% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Visan
Visan appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#145,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
+4 bearers (+3.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 2,590 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #148,347 | 111 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #145,757 | 115 | 0.04 | +4 bearers (+3.6%) | Up 2,590 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 Visan 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 | #148,347 | #145,757 | 1.7% |
| Count | 111 | 115 | 3.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -3.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Visan bearers went from 111 to 115 (+3.6% change). The surname moved up 2,590 positions in the national ranking, going from #148,347 to #145,757.
FAQ
Visan surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Visan?
Name Census estimates that about 132 living Americans carry the surname Visan. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,596,624 residents.
How common is Visan?
Visan ranks #145,757 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 115 people with the surname Visan. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (132), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Visan.
Has Visan become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Visan went from 111 recorded bearers to 115. That is an increase of 4 (+3.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #148,347 to #145,757.
What does the Census say about the background of Visan?
Among Census respondents with the surname Visan, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.0%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (5.2%) and Two or More Races (1.7%). 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 Visan in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.0% (107 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Visan appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.0%), Asian/Pacific Islander (5.2%), Two or More Races (1.7%). 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 Visan (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 Visan mean?
A surname deriving from Romanian indicating a origin in or relation to the city of Viseu. 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 Visan (0.04 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 common is the surname Visan?
Want to know how many Americans have the surname Visan? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.