Explore the Family Name Virtue
The meaning of Virtue
1. English and Scottish: usually a hypercorrect variant of Verty (see Varty), influenced by verty as a vulgar pronunciation of the word virtue. 2. English: occasionally a hypercorrect variant of Verity, itself perhaps a variant of Varty in West Yorkshire. 3. English: nickname from Middle English (Old French) vertu ‘moral virtue, valor, physical strength’, although no evidence has yet been found for the name in medieval records.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Virtue in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname Virtue has seen a slight increase in popularity between 2000 and 2010. The rank of the surname rose from 21,998th to 21,862nd, representing a small 0.62% increase. In terms of count, there was an 8.19% increase, with the number of individuals bearing this surname increasing from 1,099 in 2000 to 1,189 in 2010. However, the proportion per 100k population saw a minor drop of 2.44%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #21,998 | #21,862 | 0.62% |
| Count | 1,099 | 1,189 | 8.19% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.41 | 0.4 | -2.44% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Virtue
In regards to ethnicity, the Decennial U.S. Census data shows some shifts among those carrying the Virtue surname. Those claiming White ethnic identity decreased from 91.45% in 2000 to 88.98% in 2010, while those claiming Black ethnicity increased from 4.00% to 5.13% during the same period. Individuals identifying as Hispanic also saw a significant increase, rising by 38.46%. The representation of Asian/Pacific Islander and American Indian and Alaskan Native were previously non-existent in 2000 but showed up in the 2010 census at 1.35% and 0.42% respectively. The count of people reporting two or more races decreased slightly from 1.73% to 1.60%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 91.45% | 88.98% | -2.7% |
| Black | 4% | 5.13% | 28.25% |
| Hispanic | 1.82% | 2.52% | 38.46% |
| Two or More Races | 1.73% | 1.6% | -7.51% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0% | 1.35% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0.42% | 0% |