Vanness
An English variant of the Dutch surname Van Ness.
Name Census estimates that about 17 living Americans carry the first name Vanness. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 72.2% of registrations being male. The average person named Vanness today is around 36 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Vanness births was 2012 (8 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Vanness. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Vanness. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
17
~ 1 in 20,162,020 Americans
Peak year
2012
8 babies that year
Average age
36
years old
2012 SSA rank
#7,761
Tracked since 1964
Gender
Gender distribution for Vanness
Vanness is one of the more evenly split names in the SSA data. Of the 18 total registrations, 13 (72.2%) were male and 5 (27.8%) were female.
Vanness as a male name
- Ranked #9,655 in 2012
- 8 male births in 2012
- Peak: 2012 (8 births)
Vanness as a female name
- Ranked #7,761 in 1964
- 5 female births in 1964
- Peak: 1964 (5 births)
Popularity
Vanness: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Vanness from the 1960s through to the 2010s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 8 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Vanness by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Vanness during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Vanness' live
Origin
Meaning and history of Vanness
The name Vanness originates from the Dutch language, likely derived from the combination of the prefix "van" meaning "from" and the root word "nes" meaning "promontory" or "headland." This suggests that the name may have originally referred to someone who lived on a promontory or coastal region in the Netherlands.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Vanness can be traced back to the 16th century in Dutch historical records. However, its usage as a given name was relatively rare during this time period.
In the 17th century, the name Vanness gained some prominence among Dutch settlers in the American colonies, particularly in the areas of New Netherland (later becoming parts of New York, New Jersey, and Delaware). Records show that several individuals with the first name Vanness were among the early Dutch colonists in these regions.
One notable bearer of the name was Vanness Van Zandt (1790-1857), an American lawyer and politician from New York. He served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from 1839 to 1841.
Another historical figure with the name Vanness was Vanness Ackley (1832-1897), an American Civil War soldier who fought for the Union Army and later became a prominent businessman in New York City.
In the 19th century, the name Vanness was also recorded among some families in the United Kingdom, particularly in Scotland and England. This could be attributed to the influence of Dutch migration or trade during that period.
One example is Vanness Ellsworth (1868-1956), a British architect and surveyor who designed several notable buildings in London and other parts of England.
While the name Vanness has remained relatively uncommon throughout history, it has been carried by individuals in various fields, including literature and academia. One such person was Vanness Wilson (1871-1945), an American educator and author who wrote several books on education and philosophy.
Another bearer of the name was Vanness Doud (1905-1985), an American artist and sculptor known for his abstract works and public art installations.
Overall, the name Vanness has a rich history rooted in Dutch origins, with traces of its usage found in various regions and contexts throughout the centuries. While not a widely popular name, it has been borne by notable individuals in various fields, reflecting its enduring presence in the annals of human history.
People
Vanness + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Vanness as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with V
Other first names starting with V with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Vanness: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Vanness?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 17 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Vanness going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 20,162,020 US residents.
Is Vanness a common name?
We classify Vanness as "Very Rare". It ranks above 37.6% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 18 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Vanness most popular?
The single biggest year for Vanness was 2012, when 8 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Vanness is about 36 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Vanness in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Vanness a male name?
Yes, 72.2% of people registered as Vanness in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Vanness still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Vanness in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Vanness can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people share the name Vanness?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.