Given name & surname
Vasco
“resembling a crow”
Vasco is used as a given name and a surname. One Basque interpretation is “resembling a crow.” Its derivation is not certain.
Meaning & origin
What it means
One Basque interpretation is “resembling a crow.” Its derivation is not certain.
Where it comes from
A possible origin is Basque, although the derivation remains uncertain.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1910. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Vasco through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 523
- 523 boys · 0 girls
- Most popular year
- 1916
- 18 babies
- 2025
- 14
- #6,424 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +65%
- Rising fast
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 14 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 6,424 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 64.5% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for boys was 18 in 1916. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 528 as a first name in 2020; 776 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Vasco’s family of names
In Portuguese usage, Vasco shares a linguistic root with the Spanish form VELASCO. Vasco is a contracted form of Belasco. In Old Galician-Portuguese usage, Vasco has a related form in Vaasco.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Vasco has relatives in 4 languages. Lines run from its Basque roots to each of them.
3 related names in 4 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 2
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 1
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 2
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
See also 1
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
People named Vasco
- Vasco da GamaPortuguese explorer (c. 1460s – 1524)
- Vasco Núñez de BalboaSpanish explorer, governor, and conquistador1475–1519
- Vasco RossiItalian singer-songwriter (born 1952)
- Vasco GonçalvesPortuguese military and politician (1921-2005)
- Vasco PratoliniItalian writer (1913-1991)
- Vasco de Almeida e CostaGovernor of Macau (1932–2010)
- Vasco ReginiItalian association football playerborn 1990
- Vasco BergamaschiItalian road bicycle racer (1909–1979)
- Vasco de QuirogaSpanish bishop1470–1565
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
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