NameCensus.

UK surname

Vernau

From Old French meaning alder tree-stream.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Tendring, Maidstone and Suffolk Coastal.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Vernau is 107 in 2016. Compared with 1881, the name has changed.

1881 census count

-

Modern count

107

2016, ranked #29,762

Peak year

2016

107 bearers

Map years

1

2016 to 2016

Key insights

  • The latest modern count shown here is 107 in 2016, ranked #29,762.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 15 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Vernau surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Vernau surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Vernau 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
1901 historical 9 #33,154
1911 historical 15 #31,938
1997 modern 87 #28,749
1998 modern 97 #28,054
1999 modern 102 #27,468
2000 modern 103 #27,280
2001 modern 99 #27,534
2002 modern 90 #29,314
2003 modern 95 #28,536
2004 modern 92 #29,197
2005 modern 91 #29,406
2006 modern 90 #29,893
2007 modern 90 #30,228
2008 modern 96 #29,654
2009 modern 100 #29,597
2010 modern 102 #29,930
2011 modern 104 #29,424
2012 modern 105 #29,362
2013 modern 105 #29,916
2014 modern 106 #30,030
2015 modern 103 #30,444
2016 modern 107 #29,762

Geography

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Where Vernaus 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 Tendring, Maidstone, Suffolk Coastal, North East Lincolnshire and Ashford. 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 Tendring 003 Tendring
2 Maidstone 013 Maidstone
3 Suffolk Coastal 015 Suffolk Coastal
4 North East Lincolnshire 016 North East Lincolnshire
5 Ashford 007 Ashford

Forenames

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First names often paired with Vernau

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Vernau

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Vernau, 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 Vernau surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Vernau 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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Vernau is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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 concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Vernau 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

Vernau falls in decile 6 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.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Vernau 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 - Other

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

Meaning and origin of Vernau

The surname VERNAU is believed to have originated in France, specifically in the regions of Normandy and Brittany, during the medieval period. It is thought to derive from the Old French word "verne," meaning an alder tree, combined with the suffix "-au," indicating a small wooded area or grove. This suggests that the name may have originally referred to someone who lived near or resided in an alder grove.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name VERNAU can be found in the Cartulaire de Marmoutier, a medieval cartulary (a collection of charters and documents) compiled by the monks of the Marmoutier Abbey in Normandy, dating back to the 11th century. In this cartulary, a person named "Robertus de Vernau" is mentioned in connection with a land grant.

During the 12th century, the name VERNAU appeared in various historical records and documents across Normandy and Brittany. For example, a "Guillelmus de Vernau" is listed in the Pipe Rolls of King Henry II, a series of financial records from the English royal exchequer, indicating that the name had spread to England by this time.

In the 13th century, the name VERNAU is found in the Domesday Book, a renowned survey of England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The entry mentions a "Rogerus de Vernau" as a landowner in the county of Dorset.

Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals bearing the surname VERNAU. One such person was Jean de Vernau (c. 1370-1445), a French nobleman and military commander who served under King Charles VII during the Hundred Years' War. Another was Pierre de Vernau (c. 1510-1587), a French humanist scholar and poet who wrote extensively on classical literature.

In the 17th century, François de Vernau (1615-1679) was a French theologian and author who wrote several influential works on religious topics. During the same period, Jacques de Vernau (1628-1696) was a prominent architect who designed several notable buildings in Paris, including the Church of Saint-Sulpice.

Another notable bearer of the surname was Marie-Anne de Vernau (1732-1808), a French writer and salonnière (a woman who hosted a literary salon) who was known for her influential social circle and her patronage of the arts.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

FAQ

Vernau surname: questions and answers

How common is the Vernau surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 107 in 2016. That gives Vernau a modern rank of #29,762.

What does the Vernau surname mean?

From Old French meaning alder tree-stream.

What does the Vernau map show?

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