# Vitas? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 22, 2013, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vitas/674541 "2013-11-22T17:28:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2013, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vitas/674541/21 "2013-11-23T14:55:12Z")
> [@Johanna](#): > > Nope, Gerulaitis is a Lithuanian name too. The ending -\*aitis \*is very common in Lithuanian surnames. The name Vitas comes from Latin originally (_Vitus_ meaning ‘alive’; the masculine singular ending -_as_ in Lithuanian is the equivalent of 2nd declension -_us_ in Latin). However, the name Vytautas is pure Lithuanian. The _Survivor_ guy is actually (after looking it up) Vytas Baskauskas. Also looks like a quintessential Lithuanian name to me. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2013, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vitas/674541/22 "2013-11-23T15:16:55Z")
> [@Zeldar](#): > > \<\< clipped \>\> Not long ago in another thread somebody linked to a map of the US (or North America) that had the prevalent European connections to non-English and non-Native American cultures in the various states. I have been unsuccessful so far in locating that map, but I did find a thread with some fascinating maps: > **[Forty cool maps to better understand the world](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=699841)** > > Love these: 40 Maps That Will Help You Make Sense of the World » TwistedSifter Forty cool maps to better understand the world 08-18-2013, 05:33 PM Elendil’s Heir ---
**Author:** ![PookahMacPhellimey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pookahmacphellimey/32/3175_2.png) [@PookahMacPhellimey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PookahMacPhellimey)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2013, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vitas/674541/23 "2013-11-23T15:32:27Z")
I had to think of Vita Sackville-West, which sort of makes “Vitas” when you say it. Does that count? ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2013, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vitas/674541/24 "2013-11-23T15:50:55Z")
My cats ate Tender Vitas. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2013, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vitas/674541/25 "2013-11-23T16:19:19Z")
Okay. I’m giving up trying to locate that map I was thinking about. But I did find some that may appeal to you if this notion piqued your curiosity: > **[Ancestry of U.S. Population by Rank (2023 Update)](https://www.infoplease.com/us/race/ancestry-us-population-rank)** > > The United States is a melting pot of cultures and traditions, with people from all over the world calling it their home. Discover the top 20 U.S. ancestry groups! Ancestry of U.S. Population by Rank 45. Lithuanian 659,992 0.2 [http://www.valpo.edu/geomet/geo/courses/geo200/usa\_maps.html](http://www.valpo.edu/geomet/geo/courses/geo200/usa_maps.html) American Ethnic Geography Map Gallery of Ethnic Groups in the United States [http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Maps\_of\_ethnic\_groups\_in\_the\_United\_States](http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Maps_of_ethnic_groups_in_the_United_States) > **[File:Census-2000-Data-Top-US-Ancestries-by-County.svg](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Census-2000-Data-Top-US-Ancestries-by-County.svg)** > > Original file ‎(SVG file, nominally 800 × 593 pixels, file size: 2.5 MB) > A chart of the top reported ancestries in the US, as provided by the 2000 census. Shaded color represents the largest number of respondents (a plurality) from sample. Areas with the largest "American" ancestry populations were mostly settled by Germans, English, Italians, French, Welsh, Scottish and Irish. > (Above explanatory text originally by users Quasipalm and W.marsh.) > Based on page 8 of https://www.census.gov/prod/20... > **[Race and ethnicity in the United States | Ancestry](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maps_of_American_ancestries#Ancestry)** > > The ancestry of the people of the United States of America is widely varied and includes descendants of populations from around the world. In addition to its variation, the ancestry of people of the United States is also marked by varying amounts of intermarriage between ethnic and racial groups. > While some Americans can trace their ancestry back to a single ethnic group or population in Europe, Africa, or Asia, these are often first, second and third-generation Americans. Generally, the degree ... [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vitas/674541.md?page=1)