2000
#29,964
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 739
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.27
Very Rare Last name
Viverette
A surname derived from the French word "vivre" meaning "to live".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 865 Americans carry the last name Viverette. That puts it at #32,654 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.25 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 396,248 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Viverette 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.
Bearers in the US
865
1 in 396,248
Census rank
#32,654
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
754
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 754 bearers of the surname Viverette in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.25 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 32654th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Viverette, the largest self-reported group is Black at 52.7%. The next largest groups are White (41.1%) and Two or More Races (3.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Viverette
The surname Viverette has its origins in France, emerging in the Middle Ages around the 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old French word "vivier," which translates to "fishpond" or "fish reserve." This suggests that the name may have originally been associated with individuals involved in the fishing trade or residing near a significant body of water.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the surname can be found in the "Cartulaire de Marmoutier," a medieval cartulary from the Marmoutier Abbey in Tours, France, dating back to the 13th century. The document contains references to individuals bearing the surname Viverette, indicating their presence in the region during that time period.
In the 14th century, the name Viverette appeared in various archival records in the regions of Normandy and Brittany, two areas known for their coastal fishing communities. This further reinforces the connection between the surname and the fishing industry.
One notable individual bearing the name Viverette was Jean Viverette, a merchant and ship owner from the port city of La Rochelle in the 15th century. Records indicate that he played a significant role in the local maritime trade, further cementing the association between the surname and maritime activities.
Another prominent figure was François Viverette, a renowned French playwright born in 1630 in the town of Dieppe. His works, which included comedies and tragedies, were highly acclaimed during the 17th century and contributed to the cultural landscape of France at the time.
In the 18th century, the name Viverette was found in the records of the town of Honfleur, a historic Norman port located on the northern coast of France. This suggests that the surname may have been particularly prevalent in coastal regions, possibly due to the family's involvement in fishing or maritime trades.
During the 19th century, Marie-Thérèse Viverette, born in 1812 in the village of Sainte-Honorine-des-Pertes in Normandy, gained recognition as a renowned poet and writer. Her works, which often reflected on the beauty of the Norman countryside, were widely acclaimed and helped to preserve the cultural heritage of the region.
It's important to note that while the surname Viverette has deep roots in France, particularly in coastal regions, it has also spread to other parts of the world through migration and cultural exchange over the centuries. However, the historical records and references provided offer a glimpse into the rich history and origins of this surname.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Viverette
Among Census respondents with the surname Viverette, the largest self-reported group is Black at 52.7%. The next largest groups are White (41.1%) and Two or More Races (3.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Viverette 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 Viverette surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American52.7% · 397
- White41.1% · 310
- Two or more races3.7% · 28
- Hispanic or Latino2.0% · 15
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.1% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Viverette
Viverette 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
#29,334
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 806
+67 bearers (+9.1%)
Per 100,000 0.27
Rank movement Up 630 places
2020
#32,654
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 754
-52 bearers (-6.5%)
Per 100,000 0.25
Rank movement Down 3,320 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #29,964 | 739 | 0.27 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #29,334 | 806 | 0.27 | +67 bearers (+9.1%) | Up 630 places |
| 2020 | #32,654 | 754 | 0.25 | -52 bearers (-6.5%) | Down 3,320 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 Viverette 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 | #29,334 | #32,654 | -11.3% |
| Count | 806 | 754 | -6.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.27 | 0.25 | -6.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Viverette bearers went from 806 to 754 (-6.5% change). The surname moved down 3,320 positions in the national ranking, going from #29,334 to #32,654.
FAQ
Viverette surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Viverette?
Name Census estimates that about 865 living Americans carry the surname Viverette. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 396,248 residents.
How common is Viverette?
Viverette ranks #32,654 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.25 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 754 people with the surname Viverette. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (865), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.25 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.25 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 Viverette.
Has Viverette become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Viverette went from 806 recorded bearers to 754. That is a decrease of 52 (-6.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #29,334 to #32,654.
What does the Census say about the background of Viverette?
Among Census respondents with the surname Viverette, the largest self-reported group is Black at 52.7%. The next largest groups are White (41.1%) and Two or More Races (3.7%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Viverette in the 2020 Census, accounting for 52.7% (397 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Viverette appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (52.7%), White (41.1%), Two or More Races (3.7%). 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 Viverette (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 Viverette mean?
A surname derived from the French word "vivre" meaning "to live". 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 Viverette (0.25 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 Americans have the surname Viverette?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.