NameCensus.

UK surname

Vaughan

A Welsh surname derived from the given name Vaughn, meaning "small" or "younger" in Welsh.

In the 1881 census there were 10,222 people recorded with the Vaughan surname, ranking it #420 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 17,423, ranked #353, up from #420 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Pembrokeshire and Powys.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Vaughan is 17,930 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 70.4%.

1881 census count

10,222

Ranked #420

Modern count

17,423

2016, ranked #353

Peak year

2010

17,930 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Vaughan had 10,222 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #420 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 17,423 in 2016, ranked #353.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 12,975 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Vaughan surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Vaughan surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Vaughan 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
1851 historical 5,897 #472
1861 historical 5,245 #537
1881 historical 10,222 #420
1891 historical 9,568 #463
1901 historical 12,975 #406
1911 historical 12,568 #389
1997 modern 16,807 #353
1998 modern 17,512 #355
1999 modern 17,652 #354
2000 modern 17,609 #351
2001 modern 17,173 #354
2002 modern 17,518 #354
2003 modern 17,237 #349
2004 modern 17,213 #347
2005 modern 16,998 #346
2006 modern 16,941 #346
2007 modern 17,150 #343
2008 modern 17,123 #350
2009 modern 17,608 #348
2010 modern 17,930 #348
2011 modern 17,551 #349
2012 modern 17,325 #348
2013 modern 17,706 #350
2014 modern 17,770 #350
2015 modern 17,536 #353
2016 modern 17,423 #353

Geography

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Where Vaughans are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes and Merthyr Tydfil. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Pembrokeshire and Powys. 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 Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos) Glamorganshire
2 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
3 London parishes London 1
4 London parishes London 3
5 Merthyr Tydfil Glamorganshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Pembrokeshire 002 Pembrokeshire
2 Powys 004 Powys
3 Pembrokeshire 004 Pembrokeshire
4 Pembrokeshire 001 Pembrokeshire
5 Powys 001 Powys

Forenames

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First names often paired with Vaughan

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Vaughan

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Vaughan, 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

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Vaughan surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Vaughan 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 comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Vaughan is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. 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

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Vaughan is most concentrated in decile 4 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

4
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Vaughan falls in decile 7 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Vaughan is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

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

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Vaughan

The surname Vaughan originates from Wales and dates back to the 13th century. It is derived from the Welsh personal name "Vaughan" or "Fychan," which means "little" or "small." This suggests that the name may have been given to someone of smaller stature or a younger son.

The name Vaughan is found in various ancient records and manuscripts from Wales, including the Black Book of St. Davids, which dates back to the late 13th century. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name is in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Vacchan."

In the 14th century, the surname Vaughan was prominent in the Welsh counties of Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire. The name is associated with several place names in these regions, such as Vaughan's Field and Vaughan's Hill, reflecting the influence and landholdings of the Vaughan family.

Notable individuals with the surname Vaughan throughout history include Sir Walter Vaughan (1598-1639), a Welsh lawyer and politician who served as Attorney General for Wales. Another prominent figure was Sir William Vaughan (1577-1641), a Welsh entrepreneur and pioneer of the English colonial settlement in Newfoundland.

Henry Vaughan (1622-1695) was a Welsh metaphysical poet and physician, known for his religious poetry and renowned works such as "Silex Scintillans." His twin brother, Thomas Vaughan (1622-1666), was a renowned alchemist and philosopher who wrote under the pseudonym "Eugenius Philalethes."

In the 18th century, Samuel Vaughan (1720-1802) was a successful merchant and philanthropist in England and America, contributing to the establishment of several educational institutions and libraries.

Throughout its history, the surname Vaughan has also been associated with various spellings and variations, such as Vaughn, Vaugain, and Vaugain, reflecting regional and linguistic differences.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Vaughan families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Vaughan 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 883 Vaughans recorded in 1881 and an index of 0.89x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 883 0.89x
Lancashire 850 0.72x
Staffordshire 674 2.00x
Glamorgan 614 3.54x
Shropshire 564 6.55x
Monmouthshire 554 7.69x
Surrey 410 0.84x
Kent 395 1.16x
Herefordshire 385 9.42x
Yorkshire 367 0.37x
Pembrokeshire 337 10.64x
Gloucestershire 335 1.71x
Warwickshire 318 1.27x
Brecknockshire 284 14.25x
Cheshire 265 1.20x
Montgomeryshire 261 11.43x
Worcestershire 233 1.79x
Hampshire 220 1.08x
Denbighshire 219 5.82x
Carmarthenshire 207 4.93x
Sussex 195 1.16x
Merionethshire 145 7.95x
Flintshire 144 5.37x
Somerset 134 0.84x
Devon 120 0.58x
Cardiganshire 105 4.32x
Radnorshire 99 12.31x
Essex 94 0.48x
Derbyshire 91 0.58x
Caernarfonshire 76 1.89x
Oxfordshire 68 1.10x
Lincolnshire 60 0.38x
Cumberland 50 0.58x
Durham 47 0.16x
Northamptonshire 44 0.47x
Lanarkshire 43 0.13x
Leicestershire 42 0.38x
Nottinghamshire 34 0.25x
Cambridgeshire 27 0.43x
Hertfordshire 25 0.36x
Northumberland 25 0.17x
Berkshire 24 0.32x
Buckinghamshire 21 0.35x
Wiltshire 19 0.22x
Angus 15 0.16x
Norfolk 13 0.08x
Huntingdonshire 11 0.56x
Bedfordshire 10 0.19x
Cornwall 10 0.09x
Perthshire 8 0.18x
Royal Navy 8 0.67x
Dorset 7 0.11x
Suffolk 7 0.06x
Fife 5 0.08x
Westmorland 4 0.18x
Anglesey 3 0.17x
Midlothian 3 0.02x
Ayrshire 1 0.01x
Dunbartonshire 1 0.04x
East Lothian 1 0.08x
Inverness-shire 1 0.03x
Renfrewshire 1 0.01x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Birmingham in Warwickshire leads with 153 Vaughans recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.83x.

Place Total Index
Birmingham 153 1.83x
Aston 117 1.69x
Merthyr Tydfil 108 6.47x
Bedwellty 105 8.25x
Everton 89 2.36x
West Bromwich 85 4.41x
Aberystruth 84 13.23x
Islington London 83 0.86x
Hackney London 81 1.45x
Toxteth Park 80 2.00x
Lambeth 79 0.91x
Willenhall 79 12.54x
Ystradyfodwg 78 5.12x
Liverpool 76 1.06x
Swansea Town 76 5.34x
Aberdare 68 5.71x
Tipton 68 6.60x
Llanrhaiadr Ym Mochnant 67 90.96x
Brighton 66 1.95x
Llanelly 62 6.55x
St Pancras London 58 0.72x
Wolverhampton 58 2.24x
Hulme 53 2.15x
Newington 52 1.41x
Oswestry Town 51 18.50x
West Derby 51 1.47x
Kensington London 50 0.90x
Bethnal Green London 49 1.13x
Handsworth 49 18.77x
Portsea 49 1.22x
St Marylebone London 49 0.92x
Walsall Foreign 48 2.76x
Wellington 48 9.92x
Handsworth 46 5.55x
Manchester 46 0.86x
Warborough 43 182.13x
Deptford St Paul 41 1.56x
Dudley 38 2.40x
Salford 38 1.09x
St Asaph 37 69.61x
Brecknock St John 36 21.42x
Birkenhead 35 2.00x
Dawley 35 11.17x
Newport 34 9.89x
Shoreditch London 34 0.79x
Llangattock 33 20.33x
Plumstead 33 2.91x
Battersea 32 0.87x
Bristol St James St Paul 32 4.91x
Camberwell 32 0.50x
Croydon 32 1.19x
Rhuddlan 32 13.57x
St Luke London 32 2.00x
Talgarth 32 64.87x
Govan 31 0.39x
Bermondsey 30 1.01x
Ecclesall Bierlow 30 1.49x
Llanelly 30 12.58x
Nevern 30 66.77x
Wrexham Regis 30 10.73x
Carmarthen St Peter 29 8.08x
Melindwr 29 85.70x
Pembroke St Mary 29 7.11x
Shrewsbury St Chad 29 9.60x
Stoke Upon Trent 29 0.81x
W Felton 28 76.63x
Wednesfield 28 5.66x
Leominster 27 15.96x
Harborne 26 2.41x
Marston Upon Dove 26 51.84x
Monmouth 26 13.61x
Trevethin 26 3.82x
Brightside Bierlow 25 1.29x
Chelsea London 25 0.83x
Ely Holy Trinity St Mary 25 9.08x
Kingswinford 25 2.05x
Newcastle Under Lyme 25 4.20x
Roath 25 3.17x
Towyn 25 21.79x
Worthen 25 27.33x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 734
Elizabeth 465
Sarah 361
Ann 217
Jane 217
Margaret 184
Eliza 152
Ellen 138
Annie 135
Emma 123
Alice 120
Hannah 99
Emily 98
Martha 98
Harriet 77
Anne 75
Catherine 72
Fanny 61
Maria 59
Louisa 58
Edith 53
Florence 53
Kate 48
Amelia 43
Ada 42
Charlotte 41
Caroline 40
Clara 38
Frances 35
Lucy 33
Harriett 32
Julia 30
Rose 28
Susan 28
Esther 26
Mabel 25
Agnes 22
Eleanor 22
Minnie 22
Susannah 20
Gertrude 19
Matilda 18
Rachel 17
Rebecca 17
Amy 15
Isabella 14
Lydia 14
Selina 14
Elizth. 13
Sophia 13

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 640
John 614
Thomas 449
James 280
George 268
Edward 188
Charles 185
Henry 180
David 151
Joseph 129
Richard 90
Arthur 84
Samuel 83
Alfred 78
Robert 75
Walter 69
Frederick 67
Albert 55
Frank 45
Edwin 43
Harry 42
Isaac 40
Herbert 39
Evan 38
Ernest 33
Francis 31
Wm. 30
Benjamin 28
Thos. 25
Lewis 22
Daniel 20
Hugh 19
Peter 16
Chas. 13
Enoch 13
Percy 13
Philip 12
Roger 12
Reginald 11
Sydney 11
Jno. 10
Abel 9
Michael 9
Sidney 9
Stephen 9
Harold 8
Matthew 8
Moses 8
Owen 8
Willm. 8

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 Vaughan households.

FAQ

Vaughan surname: questions and answers

How common was the Vaughan surname in 1881?

In 1881, 10,222 people were recorded with the Vaughan surname. That placed it at #420 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Vaughan surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 17,423 in 2016. That gives Vaughan a modern rank of #353.

What does the Vaughan surname mean?

A Welsh surname derived from the given name Vaughn, meaning "small" or "younger" in Welsh.

What does the Vaughan map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Vaughan 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.