Vincent
A classic given-name surname from Latin meaning “conquering” or “victorious.”
The #641 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 5,815 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Vincent comes from the medieval personal name Vincent, from Latin Vincentius, itself built from vincens, the present participle of vincere, meaning “to conquer” or “to overcome.” In English surname use, it is a patronymic or name-based surname: it originally identified someone as the son or descendant of a man named Vincent. Older surname forms and variants such as Vince, Vincett, and Vincer were treated by 19th-century writers as related developments or corruptions of the same base name.
History
The name was established in England through medieval Christian naming, especially after the popularity of Saint Vincent. Historical surname records show Vincent in England by the later Middle Ages, with early bearers recorded in county and parish material. Writers such as Bardsley and Lower also noted several surname variants and diminutive or altered forms, including Vince and Vincett.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The root behind Vincent is the same Latin verb that gives English words like “victory” through the broader idea of conquering.
From the historical record
“2 Vinn's (Son) : v. Vinn, Vincent. VINCENT (A.-Fr..Lat.) Conquering [Fr. Vincent, Lat. Vincentius ; f. vincens, -entis, pres. part, of vincere, to conquer] Roger Vincent. — Hund. Rolls. VINCETT, an assim. form of Vincent, q.v. VINE (A.-rr.-Lat.) Dweller at a Vine or Vine- yard [Fr. vigne, a vine, vineyard ; Lat.”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)