2010
#146,201
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Arendse
A Dutch surname likely derived from a Germanic name meaning "brave counsel".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 127 Americans carry the last name Arendse. That puts it at #148,665 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,698,853 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Arendse surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
127
1 in 2,698,853
Census rank
#148,665
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
111
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 111 bearers of the surname Arendse in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 148665th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Arendse, the largest self-reported group is White at 65.8%. The next largest groups are Black (18.9%) and Two or More Races (10.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Arendse
The surname Arendse is of Dutch origin, with its roots traced back to the 17th century in the Netherlands. It is believed to have derived from the Dutch word "arend," meaning "eagle," and may have initially referred to someone who lived near an inn or tavern with an eagle as its sign or emblem.
The earliest known records of the Arendse surname can be found in Dutch parish registers and census records from the late 1600s and early 1700s, particularly in the provinces of South Holland and Zeeland. Some of the earliest documented individuals with this surname include Jan Arendse, born in 1672 in Rotterdam, and Pieter Arendse, born in 1685 in Middelburg.
As the Dutch established colonies and settlements around the world, the Arendse surname spread to various regions, including South Africa. One of the earliest known individuals with this surname in South Africa was Pieter Arendse, a Dutch settler who arrived in Cape Town in the late 17th century.
Throughout the centuries, the Arendse surname has undergone slight variations in spelling, such as Arendsz, Arendsen, and Arentse, reflecting regional differences and the evolution of language over time. Some notable individuals with the Arendse surname include:
1. Willem Arendse (1826-1901), a South African politician and lawyer who played a significant role in the early development of the Cape Colony's legal system.
2. Johanna Arendse (1848-1928), a South African educator and social reformer, known for her efforts in promoting education and women's rights in the Cape Colony.
3. Johannes Arendse (1879-1948), a Dutch artist and painter, renowned for his landscapes and cityscapes depicting scenes from the Netherlands.
4. Cornelis Arendse (1892-1971), a Dutch architect who designed several notable buildings in Amsterdam and Rotterdam during the early 20th century.
5. Pieter Arendse (1910-1995), a South African cricketer who represented the Western Province and played domestic cricket in the mid-20th century.
While the Arendse surname may have originated from a specific region or occupation, it has since become a widespread surname found across various cultures and nations, reflecting the migration and diversity of populations throughout history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Arendse
Among Census respondents with the surname Arendse, the largest self-reported group is White at 65.8%. The next largest groups are Black (18.9%) and Two or More Races (10.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Arendse bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Arendse surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White65.8% · 73
- Black or African American18.9% · 21
- Two or more races10.8% · 12
- Hispanic or Latino3.6% · 4
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Arendse
Arendse appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#148,665
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
-2 bearers (-1.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 2,464 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #146,201 | 113 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #148,665 | 111 | 0.04 | -2 bearers (-1.8%) | Down 2,464 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Arendse surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #146,201 | #148,665 | -1.7% |
| Count | 113 | 111 | -1.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -7.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Arendse bearers went from 113 to 111 (-1.8% change). The surname moved down 2,464 positions in the national ranking, going from #146,201 to #148,665.
FAQ
Arendse surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Arendse?
Name Census estimates that about 127 living Americans carry the surname Arendse. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,698,853 residents.
How common is Arendse?
Arendse ranks #148,665 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 111 people with the surname Arendse. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (127), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Arendse.
Has Arendse become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Arendse went from 113 recorded bearers to 111. That is a decrease of 2 (-1.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #146,201 to #148,665.
What does the Census say about the background of Arendse?
Among Census respondents with the surname Arendse, the largest self-reported group is White at 65.8%. The next largest groups are Black (18.9%) and Two or More Races (10.8%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Arendse in the 2020 Census, accounting for 65.8% (73 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Arendse appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (65.8%), Black (18.9%), Two or More Races (10.8%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Arendse (2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Arendse mean?
A Dutch surname likely derived from a Germanic name meaning "brave counsel". The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Arendse (0.04 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the surname Arendse?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.