2000
#2,653
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 12,531
First available Census row
Per 100,000 4.65
Uncommon Last name
Van
A Dutch toponymic surname indicating someone who lived near or came from a particular area or geographic feature.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 13,786 Americans carry the last name Van. That puts it at #2,925 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 4.02 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 24,862 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Van 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Van with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
14K
1 in 24,862
Census rank
#2,925
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
4.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
12K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 12,022 bearers of the surname Van in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 4.02 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2925th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Van, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 73.8%. The next largest groups are White (15.9%) and Black (5.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Van
The surname "Van" originated in the Netherlands during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Dutch word "van," which means "from" or "of." This prefix was often added to surnames to indicate a person's place of origin or residence.
The earliest recorded instances of the surname "Van" can be traced back to the 13th century in various Dutch records and historical documents. It was commonly used in combination with a place name, such as "Van Amsterdam" or "Van Rotterdam," indicating that the person came from or lived in those respective cities or towns.
One of the earliest known bearers of the surname "Van" was Jan Van Breda, who lived in the 14th century and was a prominent merchant in the city of Breda, located in the southern Netherlands. Another notable figure was Pieter Van Foreest (1521-1597), a Dutch physician and botanist who made significant contributions to the field of medicine.
In the 16th century, the surname "Van" appeared in various historical records, including the Dutch Revolt against Spanish rule. Cornelis Van Hout (1545-1611) was a Dutch military commander who played a crucial role in the Siege of Antwerp during the Eighty Years' War.
During the Dutch Golden Age in the 17th century, several individuals with the surname "Van" achieved prominence in various fields. Rembrandt Van Rijn (1606-1669) was a renowned Dutch painter and etcher, widely regarded as one of the greatest artists in history. Johannes Van der Waals (1837-1923) was a Dutch physicist who pioneered the study of thermodynamics and won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1910.
Another notable figure was Vincent Van Gogh (1853-1890), a Dutch Post-Impressionist painter whose works, such as "The Starry Night" and "Sunflowers," have become iconic masterpieces. His unique style and innovative use of color and brushwork have had a profound influence on modern art.
Throughout history, the surname "Van" has been associated with many notable individuals from various fields, including art, science, politics, and literature. While its origins can be traced back to the Netherlands, the surname has since spread globally due to immigration and cultural exchange.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Van
Among Census respondents with the surname Van, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 73.8%. The next largest groups are White (15.9%) and Black (5.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Van 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 Van surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander73.8% · 8,869
- White15.9% · 1,908
- Black or African American5.3% · 634
- Two or more races2.7% · 324
- Hispanic or Latino2.1% · 247
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 40
Timeline
Historical Census data for Van
Van appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#3,320
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,798
-1,733 bearers (-13.8%)
Per 100,000 3.66
Rank movement Down 667 places
2020
#2,925
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 12,022
+1,224 bearers (+11.3%)
Per 100,000 4.02
Rank movement Up 395 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,653 | 12,531 | 4.65 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,320 | 10,798 | 3.66 | -1,733 bearers (-13.8%) | Down 667 places |
| 2020 | #2,925 | 12,022 | 4.02 | +1,224 bearers (+11.3%) | Up 395 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 Van 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 | #3,320 | #2,925 | 11.9% |
| Count | 10,798 | 12,022 | 11.3% |
| Per 100K | 3.66 | 4.02 | 9.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Van bearers went from 10,798 to 12,022 (+11.3% change). The surname moved up 395 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,320 to #2,925.
FAQ
Van surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Van?
Name Census estimates that about 13,786 living Americans carry the surname Van. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 24,862 residents.
How common is Van?
Van ranks #2,925 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 4.02 per 100,000 residents, which is about 4 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 12,022 people with the surname Van. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (13,786), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 4.02 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 4.02 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 4 of them to have the surname Van.
Has Van become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Van went from 10,798 recorded bearers to 12,022. That is an increase of 1,224 (+11.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #3,320 to #2,925.
What does the Census say about the background of Van?
Among Census respondents with the surname Van, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 73.8%. The next largest groups are White (15.9%) and Black (5.3%). 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?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest self-reported group for the surname Van in the 2020 Census, accounting for 73.8% (8,869 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Van appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (73.8%), White (15.9%), Black (5.3%). 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 Van (2000, 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 Van mean?
A Dutch toponymic surname indicating someone who lived near or came from a particular area or geographic feature. 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 Van (4.02 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 common is the surname Van?
Want to know how many people have the surname Van? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.