NameCensus.

UK surname

Vargas

Derived from a place name meaning "steep slope" or "cliff" in Spanish and Portuguese.

In the 1881 census there were 11 people recorded with the Vargas surname, ranking it #32,081 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 434, ranked #11,102, up from #32,081 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Rhondda Cynon Taf, Islington and Harrow.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Vargas is 434 in 2016. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 3845.5%.

1881 census count

11

Ranked #32,081

Modern count

434

2016, ranked #11,102

Peak year

2016

434 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Vargas had 11 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #32,081 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 434 in 2016, ranked #11,102.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 24 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ethnically Diverse Young Families.

Vargas surname distribution map

The map shows where the Vargas surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Vargas surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Vargas over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1861 historical 1 #34,435
1881 historical 11 #32,081
1891 historical 7 #33,665
1901 historical 10 #33,026
1911 historical 24 #30,800
1997 modern 132 #22,821
1998 modern 149 #21,755
1999 modern 143 #22,521
2000 modern 152 #21,603
2001 modern 158 #20,788
2002 modern 178 #19,671
2003 modern 185 #18,999
2004 modern 204 #17,992
2005 modern 209 #17,629
2006 modern 216 #17,397
2007 modern 232 #16,795
2008 modern 244 #16,346
2009 modern 267 #15,661
2010 modern 319 #14,110
2011 modern 320 #13,976
2012 modern 373 #12,344
2013 modern 376 #12,472
2014 modern 405 #11,880
2015 modern 419 #11,483
2016 modern 434 #11,102

Geography

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Where Vargas' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Rhondda Cynon Taf, Islington, Harrow and Lambeth. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Rhondda Cynon Taf 024 Rhondda Cynon Taf
2 Islington 019 Islington
3 Harrow 029 Harrow
4 Islington 012 Islington
5 Lambeth 006 Lambeth

Forenames

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First names often paired with Vargas

These lists show first names that appear often with the Vargas surname in historical and recent records.

Historical female names

No Forenames Found

Historical male names

No Forenames Found

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Vargas

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Vargas, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Multicultural and Educated Urbanites

Group

Ethnically Diverse Young Families

Nationally, the Vargas surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ethnically Diverse Young Families, within Multicultural and Educated Urbanites. This does not mean every Vargas household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group includes many younger parents born overseas (particularly in Africa or EU countries) with children aged 0-4. Individuals identifying as of Mixed or Multiple ethnicities are also common. English may not be the primary language spoken. Accommodation consists principally of flats, and many properties are socially rented and/or overcrowded. Students are also present, unemployment is common, and other adults tend to work in low skilled jobs.

Wider pattern

Established populations comprising ethnic minorities together with persons born outside the UK predominate in this Supergroup. Residents present diverse personal characteristics and circumstances: while generally well-educated and practising skilled occupations, some residents live in overcrowded rental sector housing. English may not be the main language used by people in this Group. Although the typical adult resident is middle aged, single person households are common and marriage rates are low by national standards. This Supergroup predominates in Inner London, with smaller enclaves in many other densely populated metropolitan areas.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Vargas is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Vargas is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Vargas falls in decile 3 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

3
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Vargas is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Other

This describes the area pattern most associated with Vargas, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Vargas

The surname Vargas traces its origins to Spain and Portugal, with its earliest known records dating back to the 12th century. The name is derived from the Spanish word "varga," meaning a long, thin branch or rod, and is believed to have been initially used as a descriptive surname for someone who lived near or worked with rods or branches.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Vargas can be found in the Cartulario de la Catedral de Zamora, a 12th-century manuscript from the city of Zamora, Spain. The document mentions a certain "Petrus Varga" in 1173, indicating the use of the name during that time.

In the 13th century, the surname Vargas appeared in several notable historical records, including the Fuero de Soria, a legal code from the city of Soria, Spain, and the Libro Becerro de las Behetrías, a medieval census of landowners in Castile. These records provide valuable insights into the early distribution and prominence of the Vargas surname.

One of the most notable individuals bearing the surname Vargas was Francisco de Vargas (1496-1564), a Spanish conquistador and explorer who participated in the conquest of Mexico alongside Hernán Cortés. He is known for his role in the siege of Tenochtitlan and the establishment of Spanish rule in the region.

Another prominent figure was Luis de Vargas (1502-1568), a Spanish Renaissance painter known for his religious works and portraits. His paintings can be found in various churches and museums throughout Spain, including the Cathedral of Seville and the Prado Museum in Madrid.

In the 16th century, the surname Vargas also appeared in Portugal, where it was associated with the noble Vargas family from the region of Beira Alta. One notable member was Rodrigo de Sequeira Vargas (1512-1583), a Portuguese explorer and navigator who participated in several expeditions to India and the East Indies.

During the 17th century, Juan de Vargas Machuca (1600-1667) was a Spanish military engineer and architect who worked on fortifications and defensive structures in various Spanish territories, including the Philippines and the Americas.

In more recent times, the surname Vargas has been carried by notable individuals such as Mario Vargas Llosa (born 1936), the Peruvian novelist and recipient of the 1990 Nobel Prize in Literature, and Getúlio Vargas (1882-1954), a Brazilian statesman who served as the 17th President of Brazil.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Vargas families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Vargas surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Middlesex leads with 10 Vargas' recorded in 1881 and an index of 9.33x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 10 9.33x
Derbyshire 1 5.96x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Kensington London in Middlesex leads with 10 Vargas' recorded in 1881 and an index of 167.79x.

Place Total Index
Kensington London 10 167.79x
Eckington 1 243.90x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Vargas surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Amaliad 1
Daisey 1
Edith 1
Mary 1
Minnie 1

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Vargas surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Peter 2
Albert 1
Arthur 1
Clunaco 1

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Vargas households.

FAQ

Vargas surname: questions and answers

How common was the Vargas surname in 1881?

In 1881, 11 people were recorded with the Vargas surname. That placed it at #32,081 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Vargas surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 434 in 2016. That gives Vargas a modern rank of #11,102.

What does the Vargas surname mean?

Derived from a place name meaning "steep slope" or "cliff" in Spanish and Portuguese.

What does the Vargas map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Vargas bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.