2000
#143,847
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Vandekop
A Dutch surname meaning "from the head" or "from the headland".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 124 Americans carry the last name Vandekop. That puts it at #150,935 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,764,148 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Vandekop 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
124
1 in 2,764,148
Census rank
#150,935
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
108
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 108 bearers of the surname Vandekop in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150935th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Vandekop, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.9%) and Black (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Vandekop
The surname VANDEKOP has its origins in the Netherlands, dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the Dutch words "van de kop," which translate to "from the head" or "from the headland." This suggests that the name may have originally referred to someone who lived near a prominent headland or coastal area.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the VANDEKOP surname can be found in the Dutch city of Rotterdam, where a merchant named Hendrik VANDEKOP was mentioned in a trade record from 1587. Another early bearer of the name was Jan VANDEKOP, a farmer from the village of Ouddorp in South Holland, whose birth was recorded in 1612.
In the 17th century, the VANDEKOP name appeared in various parts of the Netherlands, with several variations in spelling, including VANDERKOP, VANDERKOPP, and VANDEKOPPE. These variations likely emerged due to regional dialects and inconsistencies in record-keeping during that era.
One notable figure from this period was Cornelis VANDEKOP (1628-1695), a Dutch Golden Age painter known for his landscapes and genre scenes. His works can be found in various museums across the Netherlands and Europe.
As the Dutch colonized different parts of the world, the VANDEKOP name spread to other regions. In the late 17th century, a man named Pieter VANDEKOP was among the early Dutch settlers in South Africa, where he established a farm in the Cape Colony.
Moving into the 18th century, the VANDEKOP name gained recognition in the field of maritime exploration. Dirk VANDEKOP (1720-1789) was a Dutch navigator and cartographer who charted several islands in the Pacific Ocean during his voyages with the Dutch East India Company.
Another prominent figure was Gerrit VANDEKOP (1757-1828), a Dutch-born soldier who fought in the American Revolutionary War. He served in the Continental Army under George Washington and was present at several key battles, including the Siege of Yorktown.
In the 19th century, the VANDEKOP surname was found in various parts of Europe and the Americas, reflecting the migration patterns of Dutch families. One notable bearer was Jan VANDEKOP (1832-1901), a Dutch-American politician who served as the mayor of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in the late 1800s.
Throughout its history, the VANDEKOP surname has been associated with diverse professions and backgrounds, from artists and explorers to farmers and politicians. While its origins can be traced back to the Netherlands, the name has spread across the globe, carrying with it a rich tapestry of stories and experiences.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Vandekop
Among Census respondents with the surname Vandekop, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.9%) and Black (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Vandekop 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 Vandekop surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White96.3% · 104
- Two or more races1.9% · 2
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Vandekop
Vandekop 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
#150,452
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
+3 bearers (+2.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 6,605 places
2020
#150,935
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
-1 bearers (-0.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 483 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #143,847 | 106 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #150,452 | 109 | 0.04 | +3 bearers (+2.8%) | Down 6,605 places |
| 2020 | #150,935 | 108 | 0.04 | -1 bearers (-0.9%) | Down 483 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 Vandekop 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 | #150,452 | #150,935 | -0.3% |
| Count | 109 | 108 | -0.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -9.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Vandekop bearers went from 109 to 108 (-0.9% change). The surname moved down 483 positions in the national ranking, going from #150,452 to #150,935.
FAQ
Vandekop surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Vandekop?
Name Census estimates that about 124 living Americans carry the surname Vandekop. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,764,148 residents.
How common is Vandekop?
Vandekop ranks #150,935 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 108 people with the surname Vandekop. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (124), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Vandekop.
Has Vandekop become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Vandekop went from 109 recorded bearers to 108. That is a decrease of 1 (-0.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #150,452 to #150,935.
What does the Census say about the background of Vandekop?
Among Census respondents with the surname Vandekop, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.9%) and Black (0.9%). 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 Vandekop in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.3% (104 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Vandekop appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (96.3%), Two or More Races (1.9%), Black (0.9%). 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 Vandekop (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 Vandekop mean?
A Dutch surname meaning "from the head" or "from the headland". 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 Vandekop (0.04 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 many Americans have the surname Vandekop?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.