Explore the Family Name Vater
The meaning of Vater
1. North German: nickname or status name from Middle Low German vater ‘father, person of seniority or higher rank’. 2. English: from Middle English faitour ‘deceiver, imposter, cheat’ (Old French faiteor), with southwestern voicing of the initial consonant. Some characteristic forenames: German Gerhard, Bernhard, Hans, Kurt, Lutz, Reinhard.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Vater in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname Vater saw changes in its popularity between 2000 and 2010. The ranking of the name dropped from 33,090 to 37,076, representing a decrease of 12.05%. Concurrently, the count of individuals with the surname Vater decreased from 652 to 602, a drop of 7.67%. This indicates that the proportion of people with the surname Vater per 100,000 population also fell by 16.67%, from 0.24 in 2000 to 0.2 in 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #33,090 | #37,076 | -12.05% |
| Count | 652 | 602 | -7.67% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.24 | 0.2 | -16.67% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Vater
Turning to the ethnic identity associated with the surname Vater, again based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, there were some notable shifts between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, 96.17% of those with the surname were identified as White, decreasing slightly to 95.85% in 2010. Interestingly, the percentage of those identifying as Hispanic rose significantly from 0.77% to 1.99% during the same period. While the percentage of those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander and American Indian and Alaskan Native was zero, and the percentage of those identifying with two or more ethnicities fell by 18.70%. Finally, there was an increase from no individuals identifying as Black in 2000 to 1.00% doing so in 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 96.17% | 95.85% | -0.33% |
| Hispanic | 0.77% | 1.99% | 158.44% |
| Two or More Races | 1.23% | 1% | -18.7% |
| Black | 0% | 1% | 0% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 1.07% | 0% | 0% |