2010
#145,220
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Vocal
A surname derived from the Italian word 'vocale' meaning voice or speaker.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 140 Americans carry the last name Vocal. That puts it at #140,525 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,448,245 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Vocal 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
140
1 in 2,448,245
Census rank
#140,525
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
122
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 122 bearers of the surname Vocal in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 140525th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Vocal, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 52.5%. The next largest groups are White (23.0%) and Hispanic (11.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Vocal
The surname VOCAL is believed to have originated in the Iberian Peninsula, specifically in Portugal and Spain, during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Latin word "vocalis," meaning "relating to the voice" or "vocal." The earliest recorded instances of this surname date back to the 13th and 14th centuries.
In the medieval period, surnames were often based on occupations, physical attributes, or locations. The VOCAL surname may have been initially given to individuals who had exceptional vocal abilities, such as singers or public speakers. Alternatively, it could have been a descriptive name for someone with a particularly loud or distinct voice.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the VOCAL surname was João Vocal, a Portuguese troubadour and poet who lived in the late 13th century. His works were included in the Cancioneiro da Ajuda, a renowned collection of medieval Portuguese poetry.
Another notable figure was Rodrigo Vocal, a Spanish military leader who fought in the Reconquista against the Moors in the 14th century. He was mentioned in several chronicles for his bravery and tactical skills during the Battle of Salado in 1340.
In the 16th century, Pedro Vocal was a renowned Spanish composer and musician who served at the court of King Philip II. His compositions, which included both sacred and secular works, were widely performed and appreciated during his lifetime.
During the 17th century, María Vocal was a Spanish nun and writer who authored several religious texts and poems. Her work, "Espejo de la Perfección Religiosa" (Mirror of Religious Perfection), published in 1632, was widely read and influential in monastic circles.
In the 19th century, José Vocal was a prominent Spanish politician and lawyer who served as a member of the Spanish parliament (Cortes Generales) during the reign of King Alfonso XII. He was known for his passionate speeches advocating for civil rights and political reforms.
While the VOCAL surname is not as common today as it once was, it remains a part of the rich cultural heritage of the Iberian Peninsula, reflecting the region's diverse linguistic and artistic traditions.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Vocal
Among Census respondents with the surname Vocal, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 52.5%. The next largest groups are White (23.0%) and Hispanic (11.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Vocal 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 Vocal surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander52.5% · 64
- White23.0% · 28
- Hispanic or Latino11.5% · 14
- Two or more races9.8% · 12
- Black or African American1.6% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.6% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Vocal
Vocal 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
#140,525
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 122
+8 bearers (+7.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 4,695 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #145,220 | 114 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #140,525 | 122 | 0.04 | +8 bearers (+7.0%) | Up 4,695 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 Vocal 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 | #145,220 | #140,525 | 3.2% |
| Count | 114 | 122 | 7.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 2.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Vocal bearers went from 114 to 122 (+7.0% change). The surname moved up 4,695 positions in the national ranking, going from #145,220 to #140,525.
FAQ
Vocal surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Vocal?
Name Census estimates that about 140 living Americans carry the surname Vocal. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,448,245 residents.
How common is Vocal?
Vocal ranks #140,525 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 122 people with the surname Vocal. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (140), 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 Vocal.
Has Vocal become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Vocal went from 114 recorded bearers to 122. That is an increase of 8 (+7.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #145,220 to #140,525.
What does the Census say about the background of Vocal?
Among Census respondents with the surname Vocal, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 52.5%. The next largest groups are White (23.0%) and Hispanic (11.5%). 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?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest self-reported group for the surname Vocal in the 2020 Census, accounting for 52.5% (64 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Vocal appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (52.5%), White (23.0%), Hispanic (11.5%). 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 Vocal (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 Vocal mean?
A surname derived from the Italian word 'vocale' meaning voice or speaker. 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 Vocal (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 many people are called Vocal?
See how many people are called Vocal on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.