2000
#98,770
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 170
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.06
Very Rare Last name
Vlassis
A surname derived from the Greek "Blasios", meaning a sweet and kind person.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 208 Americans carry the last name Vlassis. That puts it at #105,198 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.06 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,647,857 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Vlassis 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
208
1 in 1,647,857
Census rank
#105,198
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
181
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 181 bearers of the surname Vlassis in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.06 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 105198th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Vlassis, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.8%) and Two or More Races (2.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Vlassis
The surname Vlassis is of Greek origin, with roots dating back to the Byzantine era. It is believed to have derived from the Greek word "vlasto," which means "branch" or "shoot," suggesting that the name may have originally referred to a person who lived near a prominent tree or wooded area.
The earliest recorded instances of the Vlassis surname can be traced back to the 14th century, appearing in historical documents and records from various regions of Greece, particularly the islands and coastal areas. One notable reference is found in a 1367 manuscript from the Monastery of Vatopedi on Mount Athos, where a monk named Vlassis is mentioned.
In the 15th century, the Vlassis name gained prominence in the Cyclades Islands, particularly on the island of Andros. Several families bearing this surname were recorded in the island's tax registers and land ownership documents from that period. One prominent individual was Konstantinos Vlassis, a prosperous merchant and landowner who lived in the late 1400s.
As the centuries progressed, the Vlassis surname spread throughout Greece and the Greek diaspora communities around the Mediterranean. In the 16th century, a branch of the family settled in Crete, where they played a role in the island's resistance against the Venetian and Ottoman rulers. Georgios Vlassis, born in 1542, was a notable figure who led a militia group in the Cretan revolt against the Venetians.
During the Greek War of Independence in the early 19th century, several individuals with the Vlassis surname were involved in the struggle against Ottoman rule. Panagiotis Vlassis, born in 1789 in the Peloponnese region, was a prominent military leader and fought in several major battles alongside other revolutionary figures.
In more recent times, the Vlassis surname has been carried by notable individuals in various fields. Dimitrios Vlassis, born in 1865, was a respected academic and linguist who contributed significantly to the study of Greek dialects and folklore. Nikos Vlassis, born in 1957, is a renowned Greek actor and director who has received numerous awards for his work in theatre and film.
While the Vlassis surname is not among the most common in Greece today, it has a rich history and has been associated with individuals who have made significant contributions to Greek culture, commerce, and independence over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Vlassis
Among Census respondents with the surname Vlassis, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.8%) and Two or More Races (2.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Vlassis 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 Vlassis surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.4% · 169
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 5
- Two or more races2.2% · 4
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.7% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Vlassis
Vlassis 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
#96,799
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 188
+18 bearers (+10.6%)
Per 100,000 0.06
Rank movement Up 1,971 places
2020
#105,198
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 181
-7 bearers (-3.7%)
Per 100,000 0.06
Rank movement Down 8,399 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #98,770 | 170 | 0.06 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #96,799 | 188 | 0.06 | +18 bearers (+10.6%) | Up 1,971 places |
| 2020 | #105,198 | 181 | 0.06 | -7 bearers (-3.7%) | Down 8,399 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 Vlassis 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 | #96,799 | #105,198 | -8.7% |
| Count | 188 | 181 | -3.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.06 | 0.06 | 0.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Vlassis bearers went from 188 to 181 (-3.7% change). The surname moved down 8,399 positions in the national ranking, going from #96,799 to #105,198.
FAQ
Vlassis surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Vlassis?
Name Census estimates that about 208 living Americans carry the surname Vlassis. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,647,857 residents.
How common is Vlassis?
Vlassis ranks #105,198 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.06 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 181 people with the surname Vlassis. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (208), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.06 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.06 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 Vlassis.
Has Vlassis become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Vlassis went from 188 recorded bearers to 181. That is a decrease of 7 (-3.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #96,799 to #105,198.
What does the Census say about the background of Vlassis?
Among Census respondents with the surname Vlassis, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.8%) and Two or More Races (2.2%). 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 Vlassis in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.4% (169 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Vlassis appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.4%), Hispanic (2.8%), Two or More Races (2.2%). 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 Vlassis (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 Vlassis mean?
A surname derived from the Greek "Blasios", meaning a sweet and kind person. 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 Vlassis (0.06 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 Vlassis?
Find out how many Americans have the surname Vlassis on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.