Victoria
A surname taken from the Latin word for victory, ultimately made famous by Queen Victoria’s name.
The #5,023 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 44,176 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Victoria comes from Latin victoria, meaning “victory.” As a surname, it is generally best understood as a name adopted from the given name Victoria or from the prestige of the royal name, rather than from an older occupational or locational source. The deeper root is the Latin verb vincere, “to conquer.”
History
Victoria is much more familiar as a personal name and royal name than as a traditional hereditary surname. In English-speaking countries, it is usually a comparatively modern surname, often arising through adoption, anglicization, or family naming after the Victorian era rather than from medieval surname formation. Its visibility increased strongly in the 19th century because of Queen Victoria and the many places, institutions, and commemorations named for her.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The same Latin root behind Victoria also appears in words like victory, victor, and victorious.
From the historical record
“Lord Melbourne, aft-er whom the capital of Victoria was called, took his title from the Derbyshire Melbourne. MELDON (Eng.) Bel. to Meldon = (prob. ) the MlLL-HiLL [O.E. myln, a mill + diin, a down, hill]”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)