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

Vitus, 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 Vitus surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Vitus in America

Vitus is the 152628th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Vitus surname appeared 107 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 Vitus.

The history of the last name Vitus

The surname VITUS originated in ancient Rome, deriving from the Latin name Vitus, meaning "life" or "vital force." It was initially a personal name given to individuals born during the festival of Vita, a celebration honoring the Roman goddess of life.

The name VITUS first appeared in historical records around the 1st century AD, mentioned in various Roman inscriptions and manuscripts. One of the earliest known bearers was Saint Vitus, a Christian martyr from Sicily who lived during the 4th century AD.

As the Roman Empire expanded, the name VITUS spread across Europe, particularly in areas with significant Roman influence, such as Italy, France, and Spain. Over time, it evolved into various regional spellings, including Vito, Vido, and Vidal.

In medieval times, the name VITUS appeared in several notable records, including the Domesday Book of 1086, which listed landowners in England after the Norman Conquest. One entry mentioned a certain Vitus de Lisle, a Norman nobleman who held lands in Oxfordshire.

Throughout history, several prominent individuals bore the surname VITUS. One of the earliest was Vitus de Blois (c. 1150-1212), a French scholar and theologian who served as the Archbishop of Chartres. Another notable bearer was Vitus Bering (1681-1741), a Danish navigator and explorer who discovered the Bering Strait and several islands in the North Pacific.

In the arts, Vitus Jacobeus (c. 1545-1626) was a German composer and organist known for his sacred works. Vitus Jonassen Tungerlund de Vesterås (1638-1718) was a Swedish painter and engraver who contributed to the development of Swedish baroque art.

One of the most famous bearers of the name VITUS was Saint Vitus himself, a Christian martyr from Sicily who was tortured and executed for his faith in the early 4th century AD. His feast day, celebrated on June 15, became a popular occasion for dancing and revelry, leading to the term "St. Vitus' Dance" for certain neurological disorders marked by uncontrollable movements.

While the surname VITUS was once widely dispersed across Europe, it has become relatively uncommon in modern times, though it remains more prevalent in certain regions with historical connections to its Roman and medieval origins.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Vitus

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

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 Vitus 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.

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

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

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