2000
#9,585
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,111
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.15
Rare Last name
Vos
A Dutch and Afrikaans surname derived from the word "vos," meaning "fox."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,906 Americans carry the last name Vos. That puts it at #9,197 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.14 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 87,751 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Vos 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Vos with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.9K
1 in 87,751
Census rank
#9,197
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,406 bearers of the surname Vos in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.14 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9197th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Vos, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.9%) and Hispanic (2.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Vos
The surname Vos has its origins in the Netherlands, tracing back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Dutch word "vos," which means "fox." This surname likely originated as a nickname for someone perceived as cunning or sly, like the animal.
In the early 13th century, records show individuals with the surname Vos residing in various parts of the Netherlands, particularly in the provinces of North Holland and South Holland. The name appeared in documents such as tax rolls, land registries, and local parish records.
One of the earliest known references to the surname Vos can be found in a manuscript dating back to 1272, which mentions a person named Willebord Vos from the town of Delft. This document is preserved in the Delft City Archives.
Another notable early example is Jan Vos, a prominent merchant and alderman in Amsterdam, who lived between 1485 and 1553. He was involved in the city's governance and played a role in the city's economic growth during the 16th century.
During the 17th century, the surname Vos gained further prominence in the Netherlands. Joost van den Vondel (1587-1679), one of the most celebrated Dutch poets and playwrights of the Dutch Golden Age, was born with the surname Vos but later changed it to Vondel.
In the field of art, Jan Vos (1620-1667) was a renowned Dutch poet and playwright. He was a prominent figure in the literary circles of Amsterdam and is best known for his tragedies and comedies.
The surname Vos also has a historical connection to the town of Vos, located in the municipality of Zederik in the province of South Holland. This place name likely influenced the surname's development in the region.
Another notable bearer of the surname was Gerard Vos (1876-1935), a Dutch architect and urban planner. He was instrumental in the design and development of several residential neighborhoods in Rotterdam in the early 20th century.
Throughout history, the surname Vos has been associated with various professions, including merchants, artists, writers, and architects, reflecting the diverse backgrounds of those who carried this name in the Netherlands.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Vos
Among Census respondents with the surname Vos, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.9%) and Hispanic (2.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Vos 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 Vos surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.9% · 3,163
- Two or more races2.9% · 98
- Hispanic or Latino2.5% · 86
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 31
- Black or African American0.6% · 22
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 6
Timeline
Historical Census data for Vos
Vos 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
#9,810
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,300
+189 bearers (+6.1%)
Per 100,000 1.12
Rank movement Down 225 places
2020
#9,197
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,406
+106 bearers (+3.2%)
Per 100,000 1.14
Rank movement Up 613 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,585 | 3,111 | 1.15 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,810 | 3,300 | 1.12 | +189 bearers (+6.1%) | Down 225 places |
| 2020 | #9,197 | 3,406 | 1.14 | +106 bearers (+3.2%) | Up 613 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 Vos 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 | #9,810 | #9,197 | 6.2% |
| Count | 3,300 | 3,406 | 3.2% |
| Per 100K | 1.12 | 1.14 | 1.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Vos bearers went from 3,300 to 3,406 (+3.2% change). The surname moved up 613 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,810 to #9,197.
FAQ
Vos surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Vos?
Name Census estimates that about 3,906 living Americans carry the surname Vos. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 87,751 residents.
How common is Vos?
Vos ranks #9,197 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.14 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,406 people with the surname Vos. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,906), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.14 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.14 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Vos.
Has Vos become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Vos went from 3,300 recorded bearers to 3,406. That is an increase of 106 (+3.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #9,810 to #9,197.
What does the Census say about the background of Vos?
Among Census respondents with the surname Vos, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.9%) and Hispanic (2.5%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Vos in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.9% (3,163 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Vos appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.9%), Two or More Races (2.9%), Hispanic (2.5%). 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 Vos (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 Vos mean?
A Dutch and Afrikaans surname derived from the word "vos," meaning "fox." 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 Vos (1.14 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 share the surname Vos?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.