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

Sluys, 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 Sluys surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Sluys in America

Sluys is the 142108th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Sluys surname appeared 117 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 Sluys.

We can also compare 2010 data for Sluys 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 Sluys

The surname SLUYS is of Dutch origin, deriving from the Dutch word "sluis," which means "lock" or "sluice." The name likely originated in the Low Countries, specifically in areas like the Netherlands and Belgium, during the medieval period.

The earliest recorded instance of the SLUYS surname can be traced back to the 13th century in the city of Sluis, located in the province of Zeeland, Netherlands. This city was known for its strategic location along the Zwin inlet, which connected it to the North Sea, making it an important trading hub during the Middle Ages.

One of the earliest known references to the SLUYS name can be found in the Gesta Comitum Barcinonensium, a 13th-century chronicle written by a monk named Pere Ribera de Perpeja. The chronicle mentions a certain "Willem van der Sluys" who participated in the Siege of Valencia in 1238.

In the 14th century, the SLUYS surname appeared in various records related to the Hundred Years' War between England and France. During the Battle of Sluys in 1340, a naval engagement took place near the town of Sluis, and several individuals with the surname SLUYS were recorded as participants or casualties.

One notable individual with the SLUYS surname was Jan van Sluys, a Dutch painter who lived in the 16th century (c. 1520-1590). He was known for his religious paintings and portraits, and his works can be found in collections across Europe.

Another prominent figure was Pieter Sluys (1632-1708), a Dutch Golden Age painter and engraver. He was best known for his landscapes and seascapes, which captured the beauty of the Dutch countryside and coastal regions.

In the 18th century, Johannes Sluys (1725-1795) was a Dutch mathematician and astronomer. He made significant contributions to the field of celestial mechanics and is particularly remembered for his work on the calculation of the orbits of comets.

During the 19th century, Jacobus Sluys (1819-1900) was a Dutch politician and lawyer who served as the Minister of Justice for the Netherlands from 1877 to 1879.

Lastly, Guido Sluys (1892-1945) was a Belgian Franciscan friar and Catholic priest who was executed by the Nazis during World War II for his involvement in the Belgian Resistance movement.

These are just a few examples of individuals throughout history who bore the surname SLUYS, which has its roots in the Dutch language and the important trading city of Sluis in the Netherlands.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Sluys

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

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 Sluys 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 Sluys 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 Sluys was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!