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

Voyles, 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 Voyles surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Voyles in America

Voyles is the 6165th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Voyles surname appeared 5,551 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Voyles.

We can also compare 2010 data for Voyles to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Voyles

The surname Voyles originates from England and is believed to have derived from the Old English word "vole," meaning a small field mouse or vole. The name likely emerged as a nickname for someone who possessed traits reminiscent of a vole, such as being small, quick, or quiet.

In the 13th century, the surname was recorded in various spellings, including Vole, Volle, and Voles, reflecting the regional dialects and the lack of standardized spelling at the time. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which lists a William Vole from Oxfordshire.

The Voyles surname has been documented in historical records across various counties in England, particularly in the Midlands and the South. In the 16th century, the name appeared in the parish registers of Warwickshire, where a John Voyles was recorded in 1567.

Interestingly, the name Voyles has also been associated with place names, such as Voles Hill in Gloucestershire and Voles Green in Berkshire. These place names may have influenced the development of the surname or vice versa, as people often adopted surnames derived from the places they lived or worked.

One notable figure in history with the surname Voyles was Sir John Voyles (1625-1692), an English politician and Member of Parliament for Warwickshire during the reign of King Charles II. Another individual of note was William Voyles (1674-1738), a renowned clockmaker from London, whose intricate timepieces were highly sought after in his era.

Other historical figures with the Voyles surname include Mary Voyles (1798-1872), a respected Quaker minister and abolitionist from Pennsylvania, and Thomas Voyles (1845-1918), a Union Army veteran who fought in the American Civil War and later became a prominent farmer in Indiana.

The Voyles surname has also been documented in various parts of the United States, where it was likely brought by English immigrants in the 17th and 18th centuries. One example is Samuel Voyles (1760-1835), a early settler in Kentucky who played a role in the state's frontier history.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Voyles

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

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 Voyles 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.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Voyles has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

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

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

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