2000
#140,756
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Vanbockern
A Dutch surname derived from a place name or descriptive geographical term related to "bockern" (perhaps referring to bogs or marshes).
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 119 Americans carry the last name Vanbockern. That puts it at #153,590 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,880,289 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Vanbockern 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
119
1 in 2,880,289
Census rank
#153,590
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
104
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 104 bearers of the surname Vanbockern in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 153590th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Vanbockern, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.3%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (2.9%) and Two or More Races (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Vanbockern
The surname VANBOCKERN originated in the Netherlands during the 16th century. It is believed to be derived from the Dutch words "van" meaning "from" and "bockern" which referred to a small village or hamlet. The name likely indicated that the original bearer hailed from a particular locality known as Bockern.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in a Dutch municipal record from the year 1587, which mentions a person named Hendrick VANBOCKERN. This suggests that the surname was already established and in use by the late 1500s in the Low Countries.
In the 17th century, a prominent figure bearing this surname was Jan VANBOCKERN (1612-1681), a respected merchant and alderman in the city of Amsterdam. His successful trading ventures and civic involvement brought recognition to the VANBOCKERN name during this period.
As Dutch settlers began migrating to the New World in the 1600s, the surname VANBOCKERN also made its way to the American colonies. One notable individual was Pieter VANBOCKERN (1643-1718), who arrived in New Netherland (present-day New York) in the 1660s and became a prosperous landowner and farmer.
In the 18th century, the VANBOCKERN surname appeared in various historical records across Europe. For instance, a document from the Prussian archives dated 1746 mentions a soldier named Hans VANBOCKERN who served in the Prussian army during the reign of Frederick the Great.
Another significant figure was Johanna VANBOCKERN (1768-1842), a renowned artist from the Netherlands who specialized in portraiture and landscape paintings. Her works were highly regarded and can still be found in several prestigious art collections across Europe.
Over the centuries, the VANBOCKERN surname has undergone various spelling variations, such as VANBOCKEREN, VANBOCKEREN, and VANBOCKHOVEN, reflecting regional dialects and linguistic evolution. However, the core meaning and origin of the name have remained intact, tracing back to its Dutch roots and association with a specific locality.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Vanbockern
Among Census respondents with the surname Vanbockern, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.3%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (2.9%) and Two or More Races (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Vanbockern 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 Vanbockern surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.3% · 97
- American Indian and Alaska Native2.9% · 3
- Two or more races1.9% · 2
- Hispanic or Latino1.0% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Vanbockern
Vanbockern 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
#154,907
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
-4 bearers (-3.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 14,151 places
2020
#153,590
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
-1 bearers (-1.0%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Up 1,317 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #140,756 | 109 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #154,907 | 105 | 0.04 | -4 bearers (-3.7%) | Down 14,151 places |
| 2020 | #153,590 | 104 | 0.03 | -1 bearers (-1.0%) | Up 1,317 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 Vanbockern 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 | #154,907 | #153,590 | 0.9% |
| Count | 105 | 104 | -1.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -13.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Vanbockern bearers went from 105 to 104 (-1.0% change). The surname moved up 1,317 positions in the national ranking, going from #154,907 to #153,590.
FAQ
Vanbockern surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Vanbockern?
Name Census estimates that about 119 living Americans carry the surname Vanbockern. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,880,289 residents.
How common is Vanbockern?
Vanbockern ranks #153,590 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 104 people with the surname Vanbockern. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (119), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Vanbockern.
Has Vanbockern become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Vanbockern went from 105 recorded bearers to 104. That is a decrease of 1 (-1.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #154,907 to #153,590.
What does the Census say about the background of Vanbockern?
Among Census respondents with the surname Vanbockern, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.3%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (2.9%) and Two or More Races (1.9%). 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 Vanbockern in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.3% (97 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Vanbockern appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.3%), American Indian/Alaska Native (2.9%), Two or More Races (1.9%). 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 Vanbockern (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 Vanbockern mean?
A Dutch surname derived from a place name or descriptive geographical term related to "bockern" (perhaps referring to bogs or marshes). 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 Vanbockern (0.03 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 Vanbockern?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the last name Vanbockern on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.