Meaning and origin
The last name Vance originates from the English and Scottish patronymic surname "Vaus" or "Vausse," derived from the Old French word "val" meaning "valley." This surname denoted someone who lived in or near a valley. Over time, the spelling evolved and variations such as "Vance" emerged.
Surname origins are rarely settled: one spelling can have several sources, and families often took a name for reasons nobody wrote down. Check it against the sources below before you rely on it.
#737
Vance was the 737th most common surname in the 2010 US Census, with 47,324 people, about 16 in every 100,000.
Who carries it
Surnames like Vance
Names it is linked with, then names with the same origin and a similar standing.
Check the sources
- Forebears: where Vance is found around the world
- The Internet Surname Database: a second opinion on the origin
- US Census Bureau: the 2010 surname figures used here
For a name you are serious about, compare the dictionaries: Reaney and Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames; Hanks, Dictionary of American Family Names.