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

VanCleef, 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 VanCleef surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of VanCleef in America

VanCleef is the 41579th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The VanCleef surname appeared 523 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 VanCleef.

We can also compare 2010 data for VanCleef 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 VanCleef

The surname VANCLEEF originated in the Netherlands during the 13th century. It is believed to be derived from the Dutch words "van" meaning "from" and "cleve" referring to the town of Cleves or Kleve in present-day Germany near the Dutch border. This suggests that the name likely originated among families who hailed from or resided in that area.

One of the earliest known records of the VANCLEEF surname can be found in a Dutch census from the year 1276, which lists a Willemus van Cleve residing in the town of Nijmegen. This indicates that the name was already in use by the late 13th century.

In the 15th century, a variant spelling of the name, "van Cleve," appears in several historical documents from the Low Countries. For instance, a manuscript dated 1432 mentions a certain Johannes van Cleve, a merchant from the city of Antwerp.

The VANCLEEF name can also be traced back to the village of Kleveren in the Dutch province of Overijssel. Records from the 1500s reference individuals with the surname VANCLEEF or VANCLEVER living in this area, suggesting a potential connection to this particular place name.

One notable figure bearing the VANCLEEF surname was Joos van Cleve (c. 1485-1541), a renowned Renaissance painter from the city of Antwerp. His works, which included religious scenes and portraits, were highly acclaimed during his lifetime and remain part of the artistic heritage of the Low Countries.

Another individual of historical significance was Gisbert van Cleef (1594-1666), a Dutch Golden Age painter known for his landscapes and cityscapes. Born in the town of Leiden, his works captured the scenery and architectural beauty of the Netherlands during a period of great cultural flourishing.

In the 18th century, a Dutch-American family by the name of VANCLEEF settled in New York, having emigrated from the Netherlands. One of their descendants, Jacob VANCLEEF (1735-1818), served as a militiaman during the American Revolutionary War.

The VANCLEEF surname also found its way to other parts of Europe, including France, where a variant spelling "Vancleve" emerged. One notable bearer of this name was Louis-Adrien Vancleve (1761-1835), a French military officer who fought in the Napoleonic Wars and later served as a general under King Louis XVIII.

While these examples highlight some notable individuals with the VANCLEEF surname throughout history, the name has been carried by countless other families and individuals over the centuries, each with their own unique stories and connections to the places and regions from which the name originated.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name VanCleef

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

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

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of VanCleef, 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!