2000
#1,247
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 25,828
First available Census row
Per 100,000 9.57
Uncommon Last name
Vu
A Vietnamese surname derived from the Chinese surname Wu, meaning "dancing" or "enlightenment."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 50,215 Americans carry the last name Vu. That puts it at #773 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 14.65 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 6,826 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Vu 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 Vu with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
50K
1 in 6,826
Census rank
#773
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
14.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
44K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 43,790 bearers of the surname Vu in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 14.65 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 773rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Vu, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 95.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.9%) and White (1.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Vu
The surname Vu has its origins in Vietnam, dating back to the 10th century during the Ly Dynasty. It is derived from the Vietnamese word "vu," which means "martial arts" or "fighting skills." This suggests that the earliest bearers of this name may have been renowned warriors or martial artists.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the Vu surname can be found in the "Dai Viet Su Ky Toan Thu," a historical text that chronicles the history of Vietnam from the 3rd to the 17th century. This work mentions a prominent general named Vu Van Nhan, who served under the Ly Dynasty in the 11th century and played a crucial role in defending the kingdom against foreign invaders.
In the 13th century, during the Tran Dynasty, another notable figure with the Vu surname emerged – Vu Thi Hieu, a renowned poet and scholar. Her collection of poetry, known as "Hieu Tap," is considered a literary masterpiece of the time and is still studied by scholars today.
The Vu surname was also associated with several place names in Vietnam, such as Vu Ninh, a district in the province of Quang Binh, and Vu Bang, a commune in the city of Hai Phong. These place names may have been derived from the Vietnamese word "vu," which could also mean "battlefield" or "place of combat."
One of the most famous bearers of the Vu surname was Vu Dinh Lien, a celebrated composer and musician who lived in the 18th century. He is credited with creating the "Ca Tru," a traditional form of Vietnamese chamber music that combines poetry, singing, and instrumental music. His compositions and contributions to Vietnamese music have been widely recognized and celebrated.
Another notable figure with the Vu surname was Vu Trong Phung, a renowned writer and social critic who lived in the early 20th century. His works, such as "Dumb Luck" and "Grief of War," provided insightful commentary on the social and political conditions of Vietnam during the colonial era.
Vu Ngoc Nha, a prominent Vietnamese painter and calligrapher, was also a notable bearer of this surname. He was born in 1912 and is celebrated for his contributions to the development of modern Vietnamese art and his efforts in preserving traditional calligraphic techniques.
Throughout history, the Vu surname has been associated with various fields, including martial arts, literature, music, and visual arts, reflecting the rich cultural heritage of Vietnam and the diverse talents of those who bore this name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Vu
Among Census respondents with the surname Vu, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 95.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.9%) and White (1.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Vu 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 Vu surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander95.5% · 41,833
- Two or more races1.9% · 847
- White1.4% · 630
- Hispanic or Latino0.9% · 378
- Black or African American0.2% · 89
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.0% · 13
Timeline
Historical Census data for Vu
Vu 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
#962
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 36,179
+10,351 bearers (+40.1%)
Per 100,000 12.26
Rank movement Up 285 places
2020
#773
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 43,790
+7,611 bearers (+21.0%)
Per 100,000 14.65
Rank movement Up 189 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,247 | 25,828 | 9.57 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #962 | 36,179 | 12.26 | +10,351 bearers (+40.1%) | Up 285 places |
| 2020 | #773 | 43,790 | 14.65 | +7,611 bearers (+21.0%) | Up 189 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 Vu 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 | #962 | #773 | 19.6% |
| Count | 36,179 | 43,790 | 21.0% |
| Per 100K | 12.26 | 14.65 | 19.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Vu bearers went from 36,179 to 43,790 (+21.0% change). The surname moved up 189 positions in the national ranking, going from #962 to #773.
FAQ
Vu surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Vu?
Name Census estimates that about 50,215 living Americans carry the surname Vu. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 6,826 residents.
How common is Vu?
Vu ranks #773 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 14.65 per 100,000 residents, which is about 15 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 43,790 people with the surname Vu. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (50,215), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 14.65 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 14.65 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 15 of them to have the surname Vu.
Has Vu become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Vu went from 36,179 recorded bearers to 43,790. That is an increase of 7,611 (+21.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #962 to #773.
What does the Census say about the background of Vu?
Among Census respondents with the surname Vu, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 95.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.9%) and White (1.4%). 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 Vu in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.5% (41,833 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Vu appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (95.5%), Two or More Races (1.9%), White (1.4%). 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 Vu (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 Vu mean?
A Vietnamese surname derived from the Chinese surname Wu, meaning "dancing" or "enlightenment." 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 Vu (14.65 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 Vu?
If you just want to know how many people have the surname Vu, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.