2000
#318
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 87,728
First available Census row
Per 100,000 32.52
Common Last name
Vega
A Spanish toponymic surname referring to someone who lived near a fertile plain or meadow.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 133,970 Americans carry the last name Vega. That puts it at #258 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 39.09 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,558 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Vega 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 Vega with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
134K
1 in 2,558
Census rank
#258
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
39.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
117K
common in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 116,828 bearers of the surname Vega in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 39.09 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 258th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Vega, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 92.0%. The next largest groups are White (5.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Vega
The surname Vega originates from Spain, where it was derived from the Spanish word "vega," meaning a fertile plain or valley. The name initially emerged in the 13th century, particularly in the regions of Andalusia and Extremadura.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Vega surname can be found in the "Libro de la Montería" (Book of the Hunt), a 14th-century manuscript commissioned by King Alfonso XI of Castile, which mentions individuals bearing the name Vega.
During the 15th century, the Vega surname gained prominence when Garcilaso de la Vega (1501-1536), a renowned Spanish poet and soldier, rose to fame. His works, including "Églogas" and "Sonetos," significantly influenced the development of Spanish poetry.
Another notable figure was Lope de Vega (1562-1635), considered one of the most prolific and influential playwrights of the Spanish Golden Age. His masterpieces, such as "Fuenteovejuna" and "El Caballero de Olmedo," solidified his reputation as a literary giant.
In the 18th century, José de Vega y Portolés (1673-1739) made significant contributions as a Spanish Baroque sculptor, leaving behind numerous religious and allegorical works that adorned churches and public spaces across Spain.
The Vega surname also gained recognition in the realm of science with José Celestino Mutis (1732-1808), a Spanish botanist and mathematician who led the Royal Botanical Expedition to Nueva Granada (present-day Colombia) and made invaluable contributions to the study of South American flora.
Venturing into the 19th century, Ventura de la Vega (1807-1865) emerged as a prominent Spanish writer and dramatist, renowned for his plays and zarzuelas (Spanish lyric-dramatic genre), including "El Hombre de Mundo" and "La Vida es Sueño."
These are just a few examples of notable individuals who have borne the Vega surname throughout history, highlighting its rich cultural heritage and impact across various fields.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Vega
Among Census respondents with the surname Vega, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 92.0%. The next largest groups are White (5.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Vega 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 Vega surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino92.0% · 107,435
- White5.8% · 6,824
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 998
- Black or African American0.7% · 763
- Two or more races0.4% · 498
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 310
Timeline
Historical Census data for Vega
Vega 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
#261
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116,673
+28,945 bearers (+33.0%)
Per 100,000 39.55
Rank movement Up 57 places
2020
#258
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116,828
+155 bearers (+0.1%)
Per 100,000 39.09
Rank movement Up 3 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #318 | 87,728 | 32.52 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #261 | 116,673 | 39.55 | +28,945 bearers (+33.0%) | Up 57 places |
| 2020 | #258 | 116,828 | 39.09 | +155 bearers (+0.1%) | Up 3 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 Vega 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 | #261 | #258 | 1.1% |
| Count | 116,673 | 116,828 | 0.1% |
| Per 100K | 39.55 | 39.09 | -1.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Vega bearers went from 116,673 to 116,828 (+0.1% change). The surname moved up 3 positions in the national ranking, going from #261 to #258.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Vega
FAQ
Vega surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Vega?
Name Census estimates that about 133,970 living Americans carry the surname Vega. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,558 residents.
How common is Vega?
Vega ranks #258 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Common." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 39.09 per 100,000 residents, which is about 39 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 116,828 people with the surname Vega. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (133,970), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 39.09 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 39.09 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 39 of them to have the surname Vega.
Has Vega become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Vega went from 116,673 recorded bearers to 116,828. That is an increase of 155 (+0.1%). In the national ranking it rose from #261 to #258.
What does the Census say about the background of Vega?
Among Census respondents with the surname Vega, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 92.0%. The next largest groups are White (5.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%). 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?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Vega in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.0% (107,435 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Vega appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (92.0%), White (5.8%), Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%). 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 Vega (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 Vega mean?
A Spanish toponymic surname referring to someone who lived near a fertile plain or meadow. 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 Vega (39.09 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 common is the surname Vega?
See how many people have the last name Vega on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.