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

Vise, 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 Vise surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Vise in America

Vise is the 23604th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Vise surname appeared 1,075 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Vise.

We can also compare 2010 data for Vise 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.

The history of the last name Vise

The surname VISE is of French origin, derived from the Old French word "vis" meaning "screw" or "spiral". It likely originated as an occupational name for a maker or seller of screws or spiral staircases during the Middle Ages.

The earliest recorded instance of the name dates back to the 13th century in the region of Normandy, France. It appears in the historical records of the Abbey of Fécamp, where a certain Richart Vise is mentioned as a resident of the town in 1254.

In England, the name VISE can be traced back to the 14th century, with records showing a John Vise residing in Suffolk in 1327. This suggests that the name was likely brought over by Norman settlers after the conquest of England in 1066.

The VISE surname is also found in various medieval manuscripts and records, such as the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which lists a Walter Vise in Oxfordshire. Additionally, the name appears in the Subsidy Rolls of 1327 in Cambridgeshire, where a Thomas Vise is recorded.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the name VISE was predominantly concentrated in the counties of Norfolk, Suffolk, and Essex in eastern England. Notable individuals from this period include:

1. Robert Vise (c. 1550-1615), a merchant and landowner from Norwich, Norfolk.
2. Elizabeth Vise (1592-1678), a Puritan writer and poet from Great Yarmouth, Norfolk.
3. William Vise (1625-1692), a clergyman and author from Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk.

In the 18th and 19th centuries, the VISE surname spread to other parts of England and the United Kingdom, as well as to America and other English-speaking countries through emigration. Some notable bearers from this period include:

4. John Vise (1744-1821), a British naval officer who served during the American Revolutionary War.
5. James Vise (1786-1859), an English architect and surveyor who designed several churches and public buildings in London.

Throughout its history, the VISE surname has also been recorded with various spelling variations, such as Vize, Vyse, and Vyce, reflecting the evolving nature of surname spellings over time.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Vise

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

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 Vise was:

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

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

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

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