NameCensus.

UK surname

Vaughn

A Welsh surname derived from the word "bychan," meaning "small" or "little."

In the 1881 census there were 902 people recorded with the Vaughn surname, ranking it #4,226 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 223, ranked #18,222, down from #4,226 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), St Mary and Alberbury, Cardeston, Ford. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Medway, East Cambridgeshire and Luton.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Vaughn is 1,141 in 1851. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 75.3%.

1881 census count

902

Ranked #4,226

Modern count

223

2016, ranked #18,222

Peak year

1851

1,141 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Vaughn had 902 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #4,226 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 223 in 2016, ranked #18,222.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,141 in 1851.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Vaughn surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Vaughn surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Vaughn 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 1,141 #2,469
1861 historical 685 #3,931
1881 historical 902 #4,226
1891 historical 514 #7,262
1901 historical 433 #8,954
1911 historical 192 #15,342
1997 modern 137 #22,301
1998 modern 138 #22,814
1999 modern 154 #21,455
2000 modern 160 #20,903
2001 modern 156 #20,974
2002 modern 156 #21,348
2003 modern 143 #22,367
2004 modern 139 #22,891
2005 modern 145 #22,253
2006 modern 156 #21,399
2007 modern 167 #20,719
2008 modern 161 #21,431
2009 modern 175 #20,707
2010 modern 190 #20,087
2011 modern 191 #19,871
2012 modern 213 #18,422
2013 modern 221 #18,252
2014 modern 224 #18,202
2015 modern 226 #17,995
2016 modern 223 #18,222

Geography

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Where Vaughns are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), St Mary, Alberbury, Cardeston, Ford, Manchester 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 Medway, East Cambridgeshire, Luton and Brighton and Hove. 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 St Mary Pembrokeshire
3 Alberbury, Cardeston, Ford Shropshire
4 Manchester Lancashire
5 Merthyr Tydfil Glamorganshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Medway 003 Medway
2 Medway 026 Medway
3 East Cambridgeshire 008 East Cambridgeshire
4 Luton 011 Luton
5 Brighton and Hove 028 Brighton and Hove

Forenames

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First names often paired with Vaughn

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Vaughn

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

Baseline UK

Group

Challenged Communities

Nationally, the Vaughn surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Vaughn household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Residents of these neighbourhoods typically live in households with dependent children, and there are fewer-than-average residents of normal retirement age or over. Identification with ethnic minorities, particularly Black, or Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is common. The rate of Christian religious affiliation is low. Housing predominantly consists of semi-detached houses, along with a significant number of terraced properties and flats. Overcrowded social housing is common, and private renting occurs at average UK levels. Those in employment work mainly in caring leisure and other services; process, plant and machine operation; or elementary occupations. Unemployment is high, and few individuals have degree level qualifications. Many of these neighbourhoods occur in commuter towns or less accessible areas of larger towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Vaughn 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

Vaughn 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

Vaughn falls in decile 5 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.

5
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Vaughn is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

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

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Vaughn

The surname Vaughn has its origins in Wales, with roots tracing back to the early medieval period. It is derived from the Welsh personal name "Vaughan," a variant of the name "Bychan," meaning "small" or "little." This name was initially adopted as a descriptive nickname for someone of diminutive stature.

Vaughn is believed to have emerged as a distinct surname in the 13th century, with early recorded instances appearing in Welsh records and manuscripts. One notable reference is found in the Cydrychau Enwau Lleoedd, a collection of Welsh place names, where the name is spelled "Vychan."

The earliest recorded bearer of the surname Vaughn is Rhys Vychan, a Welsh landowner who lived in the late 13th century. Another early figure was Sir Roger Vaughan (c. 1360-1415), a Welsh soldier and military commander who served under King Henry V of England during the Hundred Years' War.

In the 16th century, the surname Vaughn gained prominence with the exploits of Sir Walter Vaughan (c. 1510-1598), a Welsh courtier and Member of Parliament during the reigns of Henry VIII, Edward VI, and Elizabeth I. His son, Sir John Vaughan (1572-1634), was an influential lawyer and Chief Justice of the Court of Common Pleas in England.

Other notable individuals with the surname Vaughn include Henry Vaughan (1621-1695), a Welsh metaphysical poet and Anglican priest known for his religious poetry. Sir William Vaughan (1677-1718) was a Welsh-born merchant and colonial administrator who served as the Governor of the British colonies of Carolina and East New Jersey in the early 18th century.

The surname Vaughn has also been associated with various place names in Wales, such as Vaughan's Field and Vaughan's Wood, which likely derived from individuals or families bearing this name who once inhabited or owned land in those areas.

Throughout history, the surname Vaughn has undergone various spelling variations, including Vaughan, Vaughen, Vaughn, and Vaughon, reflecting the evolution of language and regional dialects over time.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Vaughn families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Vaughn 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. Shropshire leads with 104 Vaughns recorded in 1881 and an index of 13.76x.

County Total Index
Shropshire 104 13.76x
Monmouthshire 71 11.22x
Lancashire 69 0.66x
Pembrokeshire 57 20.50x
Glamorgan 55 3.61x
Gloucestershire 47 2.74x
Staffordshire 47 1.59x
Herefordshire 38 10.59x
Kent 34 1.14x
Middlesex 34 0.39x
Somerset 34 2.41x
Denbighshire 31 9.38x
Yorkshire 30 0.35x
Radnorshire 29 41.08x
Montgomeryshire 22 10.97x
Surrey 22 0.52x
Cheshire 21 1.09x
Brecknockshire 19 10.86x
Carmarthenshire 16 4.34x
Hampshire 15 0.84x
Merionethshire 13 8.12x
Northamptonshire 12 1.46x
Worcestershire 11 0.96x
Cumberland 8 1.06x
Warwickshire 8 0.36x
Flintshire 7 2.98x
Derbyshire 6 0.44x
Durham 5 0.19x
Essex 5 0.29x
Stirlingshire 5 1.55x
Sussex 5 0.34x
Buckinghamshire 4 0.76x
Northumberland 4 0.31x
Anglesey 3 1.93x
Cardiganshire 2 0.94x
Hertfordshire 2 0.33x
Caernarfonshire 1 0.28x
Dorset 1 0.17x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Pembroke St Mary in Pembrokeshire leads with 25 Vaughns recorded in 1881 and an index of 69.81x.

Place Total Index
Pembroke St Mary 25 69.81x
Bedwellty 23 20.59x
Kirkdale 19 10.88x
Manchester 18 3.86x
Camberwell 17 3.04x
Much Wenlock 14 200.86x
Abergele 13 136.70x
Rainham 13 158.54x
Birkenhead 12 7.79x
Walcot 12 16.00x
Hardwicke 11 567.01x
Upper Penn 11 148.65x
Llandaff 10 19.73x
Llantillio Pertholey 10 270.27x
Shawbury 10 344.83x
St Asaph 10 298.51x
W Felton 10 311.53x
Wilmington 10 239.81x
Featherstone 9 92.40x
Lilbourne 9 1125.00x
Shoreditch London 9 2.37x
Aberdare 8 7.65x
Aberystruth 8 14.35x
Allensmore 8 462.43x
Cheltenham 8 6.04x
Disserth Trecoed 8 519.48x
Elton 8 22.30x
Haverfordwest St Martin 8 155.34x
Huntspill 8 138.65x
Kingswinford 8 7.46x
Llanfihangel Rhydithon 8 720.72x
Llangendeirne 8 116.96x
Merthyr Tydfil 8 5.46x
Mile End Old Town 8 5.79x
Oswestry Rural 8 69.08x
Panteg 8 80.32x
West Dean 8 28.69x
Bitterley 7 234.11x
Eling 7 38.53x
Linton In Newent 7 251.80x
Llanguick 7 25.64x
Mark 7 212.77x
Munslow 7 384.62x
Old Radnor Ednoll 7 4375.00x
Tenby St Mary Out 7 1320.75x
Worfield 7 133.33x
Aston 6 0.99x
Birling 6 226.42x
Brightside Bierlow 6 3.53x
Cardiff St Mary 6 7.15x
Castlewright 6 1200.00x
Festiniog 6 17.76x
Linthorpe 6 11.59x
Llanidloes 6 40.38x
Llanigon 6 555.56x
Steynton 6 66.74x
Wolverhampton 6 2.64x
Bryneglwys 5 462.96x
Falkirk 5 6.62x
Kidwelly 5 66.40x
Llangarren 5 155.28x
Llangunider 5 45.87x
Maentwrog 5 196.08x
Michaelstone Super Avon 5 30.32x
N Lydbury 5 170.07x
Old Radnor Evenjobb 5 526.32x
Rettendon 5 231.48x
Shifnal 5 24.37x
Whitford 5 41.02x
Bedminster 4 3.02x
Blackwell 4 59.44x
Bodenham 4 151.52x
Distington 4 103.36x
Fitz 4 459.77x
Hereford St Nicholas 4 81.97x
Llantillio Crossenny 4 200.00x
Longbenton 4 7.25x
Seaton 4 45.51x
Titchfield 4 29.59x
Wrockwardine 4 24.07x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 65
Elizabeth 43
Sarah 28
Jane 20
Ann 17
Ellen 14
Annie 12
Margaret 11
Martha 11
Eliza 10
Alice 9
Catherine 9
Emma 9
Emily 8
Edith 7
Harriet 7
Charlotte 6
Hannah 6
Agnes 5
Caroline 5
Kate 5
Lucy 5
Anne 4
Julia 4
Louisa 4
Clara 3
Esther 3
Florence 3
Harriett 3
Jemima 3
Lydia 3
Maria 3
Rebecca 3
Susan 3
Amelia 2
Amy 2
Anney 2
Bessey 2
Betsey 2
Cathrin 2
Fanny 2
Frances 2
Lillah 2
Mabel 2
Margret 2
May 2
Rachel 2
Susanna 2
Diana 1
Sussanah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 68
John 60
Thomas 43
George 32
Henry 21
James 20
Charles 18
Robert 14
Richard 13
David 12
Edward 10
Joseph 9
Albert 7
Arthur 6
Edwin 6
Samuel 5
Wm. 5
Alfred 4
Frederick 4
Andrew 3
Benjamin 3
Ernest 3
Hugh 3
Lewis 3
Martin 3
Clement 2
Francis 2
Thos. 2
Willie 2
Alfd. 1
Ambrose 1
Auther 1
Benjm. 1
Chas. 1
Edgar 1
Edwd. 1
Eli 1
Erniest 1
Evan 1
Fossil 1
Fredrick 1
Henery 1
Herbert 1
Howell 1
Hubert 1
Hy.A. 1
Ishmael 1
Jas. 1
Jesse 1
Job 1

FAQ

Vaughn surname: questions and answers

How common was the Vaughn surname in 1881?

In 1881, 902 people were recorded with the Vaughn surname. That placed it at #4,226 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Vaughn surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 223 in 2016. That gives Vaughn a modern rank of #18,222.

What does the Vaughn surname mean?

A Welsh surname derived from the word "bychan," meaning "small" or "little."

What does the Vaughn map show?

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