Find out how popular the last name DeFoor is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named DeFoor.

DeFoor, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the DeFoor surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of DeFoor in America

DeFoor is the 20192nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The DeFoor surname appeared 1,320 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname DeFoor.

We can also compare 2010 data for DeFoor to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name DeFoor

The surname DEFOOR is of Dutch origin and traces its roots back to the Netherlands in the 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the Dutch term "de voor," which translates to "the fore" or "the front," possibly referring to someone who lived at the front of a village or settlement.

In the earliest records, the surname was often spelled as "de Vor" or "de Voor," with variations such as "de Vore" or "de Voer" also appearing. These spelling variations were common in the era before standardized spelling conventions were widely adopted.

One of the earliest references to the name can be found in the Dutch census records of the city of Amsterdam from the late 16th century, where several families with the surname DEFOOR were listed as residents.

In the 17th century, the name began to appear in other regions of the Netherlands, particularly in the provinces of Noord-Brabant and Limburg, suggesting that families with this surname had begun to migrate and settle in different parts of the country.

A notable figure bearing this surname was Pieter DEFOOR (1580-1647), a Dutch merchant and ship owner who played a significant role in the early days of the Dutch East India Company (VOC). Another prominent individual was Jan DEFOOR (1620-1687), a renowned Dutch painter known for his landscape and seascape paintings.

As Dutch settlers began to establish colonies in various parts of the world, the surname DEFOOR traveled with them. In the 18th century, records show instances of the name appearing in the Dutch colonial settlements of Suriname and the Dutch East Indies (present-day Indonesia).

Another notable bearer of the surname was Willem DEFOOR (1725-1798), a Dutch military officer who served in the Dutch East Indies and played a crucial role in the suppression of the Javanese Rebellion of 1786-1787.

In the 19th century, the DEFOOR surname continued to spread as Dutch families migrated to other parts of the world, including North America and South Africa. One such individual was Hendrik DEFOOR (1845-1923), a Dutch immigrant to the United States who became a successful farmer and landowner in the state of Michigan.

Throughout its history, the surname DEFOOR has maintained a strong connection to its Dutch roots, with many families tracing their ancestry back to the Netherlands. While the name may not be as widely known as some other Dutch surnames, it has left an indelible mark on the history and culture of the Netherlands and the various regions where Dutch settlers have established communities.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name DeFoor

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname DeFoor.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for DeFoor was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of DeFoor has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name DeFoor was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of DeFoor, please contact us.

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