2000
#3,802
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,563
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.17
Rare Last name
Varney
Derived from a Norman French place name meaning "from Varney," a town in Normandy, France.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 9,372 Americans carry the last name Varney. That puts it at #4,198 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.73 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 36,572 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Varney 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 Varney with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
9.4K
1 in 36,572
Census rank
#4,198
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
8.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 8,173 bearers of the surname Varney in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.73 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4198th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Varney, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.2%) and Hispanic (2.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Varney
The surname Varney is believed to have originated in France and England during the medieval period. It is thought to have derived from the Old French word "varniere," which referred to a grove of alders or a place where alders grew. This suggests that the name may have initially been a locational surname, given to someone who lived near a patch of alder trees.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Varney surname can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of land ownership in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name is listed as "Vernei," which is likely an early spelling variation.
In the 13th century, there are records of a family named Varney residing in the county of Somerset, England. A notable member of this family was Sir Ralph Varney, who served as a knight and military commander during the reign of King Edward III (1312-1377).
Another prominent figure with the Varney surname was John Varney (c. 1470-1530), an English merchant and alderman from the city of Bristol. He was known for his involvement in the wool trade and served as the Mayor of Bristol in 1528.
During the 16th century, the Varney name appears in various historical documents related to the English aristocracy. One example is Dorothy Varney (c. 1525-1599), who was a gentlewoman and attendant to Queen Elizabeth I.
In the realm of literature, the surname Varney features in the Gothic novel "Varney the Vampire" by James Malcolm Rymer, published in the mid-19th century. The titular character, Sir Francis Varney, is depicted as a wealthy and aristocratic vampire.
Other notable individuals with the Varney surname include John Varney (1617-1668), an English minister and author of religious works, and William Varney (1809-1888), an American inventor and businessman who patented several improvements to firearms and agricultural equipment.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Varney
Among Census respondents with the surname Varney, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.2%) and Hispanic (2.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Varney 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 Varney surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.1% · 7,525
- Two or more races3.2% · 261
- Hispanic or Latino2.2% · 178
- Black or African American1.4% · 113
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 56
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 40
Timeline
Historical Census data for Varney
Varney 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
#4,169
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,502
-61 bearers (-0.7%)
Per 100,000 2.88
Rank movement Down 367 places
2020
#4,198
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,173
-329 bearers (-3.9%)
Per 100,000 2.73
Rank movement Down 29 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,802 | 8,563 | 3.17 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #4,169 | 8,502 | 2.88 | -61 bearers (-0.7%) | Down 367 places |
| 2020 | #4,198 | 8,173 | 2.73 | -329 bearers (-3.9%) | Down 29 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 Varney 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 | #4,169 | #4,198 | -0.7% |
| Count | 8,502 | 8,173 | -3.9% |
| Per 100K | 2.88 | 2.73 | -5.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Varney bearers went from 8,502 to 8,173 (-3.9% change). The surname moved down 29 positions in the national ranking, going from #4,169 to #4,198.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Varney
FAQ
Varney surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Varney?
Name Census estimates that about 9,372 living Americans carry the surname Varney. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 36,572 residents.
How common is Varney?
Varney ranks #4,198 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.73 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 8,173 people with the surname Varney. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (9,372), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.73 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.73 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Varney.
Has Varney become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Varney went from 8,502 recorded bearers to 8,173. That is a decrease of 329 (-3.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #4,169 to #4,198.
What does the Census say about the background of Varney?
Among Census respondents with the surname Varney, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.2%) and Hispanic (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 Varney in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.1% (7,525 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Varney appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.1%), Two or More Races (3.2%), Hispanic (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 Varney (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 Varney mean?
Derived from a Norman French place name meaning "from Varney," a town in Normandy, France. 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 Varney (2.73 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 have the last name Varney?
You can see how many people have the last name Varney on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.