2000
#52,935
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 367
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.14
Very Rare Last name
Void
An occupational surname deriving from the Hebrew term for "empty" or "void".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 573 Americans carry the last name Void. That puts it at #45,998 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.17 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 598,175 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Void 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 Void with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
573
1 in 598,175
Census rank
#45,998
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
500
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 500 bearers of the surname Void in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.17 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 45998th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Void, the largest self-reported group is Black at 76.4%. The next largest groups are White (12.0%) and Two or More Races (5.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Void
The surname VOID is of English origin, and it first appeared in the late 12th century. It is derived from the Old French word "voide," which means "empty" or "vacant." The name likely referred to someone who lived in an uninhabited area or a place that was deserted.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname VOID can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from the year 1195, where a person named Roger le Void was mentioned. These rolls were financial records kept by the English Exchequer, and they provide valuable insights into the names and occupations of people living in medieval England.
During the 13th century, the surname VOID appeared in various forms, such as le Voyd, le Voide, and le Voidee. These variations likely resulted from regional dialects and the inconsistent spelling practices of the time.
In the 14th century, the surname VOID was associated with several place names in England, such as Voyd's Green in Hertfordshire and Voyd's Hill in Kent. These place names suggest that people with the surname VOID may have resided in or owned land in these areas.
One notable person with the surname VOID was Sir John Void, who was born in 1420 and served as a member of the English Parliament during the reign of King Henry VI. He was a prominent landowner and held the position of Sheriff of Hertfordshire in 1453.
Another historical figure with the surname VOID was William Void, born in 1567. He was a clergyman and served as the Vicar of Stratford-upon-Avon from 1616 to 1623, during the latter part of William Shakespeare's life.
In the 17th century, a man named Thomas Void (1619-1681) gained notoriety as a surveyor and cartographer. He was responsible for creating detailed maps of various counties in England, including Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire.
The surname VOID also appeared in the records of the Virginia Company, a private English stock company established in 1606 to establish colonial settlements in North America. One of the early settlers in Virginia was a man named John Void, who arrived in the colony in 1635.
Another notable individual with the surname VOID was Elizabeth Void (1723-1792), an English writer and poet. She published several works, including a collection of poems titled "The Muse's Recreation" in 1766.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Void
Among Census respondents with the surname Void, the largest self-reported group is Black at 76.4%. The next largest groups are White (12.0%) and Two or More Races (5.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Void 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 Void surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American76.4% · 382
- White12.0% · 60
- Two or more races5.4% · 27
- Hispanic or Latino5.2% · 26
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 4
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Void
Void 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
#54,864
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 375
+8 bearers (+2.2%)
Per 100,000 0.13
Rank movement Down 1,929 places
2020
#45,998
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 500
+125 bearers (+33.3%)
Per 100,000 0.17
Rank movement Up 8,866 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #52,935 | 367 | 0.14 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #54,864 | 375 | 0.13 | +8 bearers (+2.2%) | Down 1,929 places |
| 2020 | #45,998 | 500 | 0.17 | +125 bearers (+33.3%) | Up 8,866 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 Void 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 | #54,864 | #45,998 | 16.2% |
| Count | 375 | 500 | 33.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.13 | 0.17 | 28.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Void bearers went from 375 to 500 (+33.3% change). The surname moved up 8,866 positions in the national ranking, going from #54,864 to #45,998.
FAQ
Void surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Void?
Name Census estimates that about 573 living Americans carry the surname Void. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 598,175 residents.
How common is Void?
Void ranks #45,998 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.17 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 500 people with the surname Void. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (573), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.17 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.17 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Void.
Has Void become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Void went from 375 recorded bearers to 500. That is an increase of 125 (+33.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #54,864 to #45,998.
What does the Census say about the background of Void?
Among Census respondents with the surname Void, the largest self-reported group is Black at 76.4%. The next largest groups are White (12.0%) and Two or More Races (5.4%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Void in the 2020 Census, accounting for 76.4% (382 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Void appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (76.4%), White (12.0%), Two or More Races (5.4%). 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 Void (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 Void mean?
An occupational surname deriving from the Hebrew term for "empty" or "void". 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 Void (0.17 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 surname Void?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.