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

Vandermeulen, 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 Vandermeulen surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Vandermeulen in America

Vandermeulen is the 20750th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Vandermeulen surname appeared 1,274 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 Vandermeulen.

We can also compare 2010 data for Vandermeulen 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 Vandermeulen

The surname VANDERMEULEN originated in the Low Countries, which includes present-day Belgium and the Netherlands, during the Middle Ages. It is a Dutch toponymic surname derived from the words "van der" meaning "from the" and "meulen" meaning "mill." This suggests the name likely referred to someone who lived near a mill or worked as a miller.

The earliest known record of the VANDERMEULEN surname dates back to the 13th century in Dutch town records and parish registers. Variations in spelling during this period included Vandermuelen, Vandermoelen, and Vander Molen. Place names like Ter Meulen and Meulenberg, which incorporate the root "meulen," lend credence to the mill-related origin of the name.

One notable early bearer of the VANDERMEULEN name was Jan Vandermeulen, a Dutch painter born in 1571 who specialized in landscapes and seascapes. His works can be found in several prominent museums across Europe.

In the 16th century, the VANDERMEULEN surname appeared in the records of the Spanish Netherlands, which encompassed parts of modern-day Belgium and Luxembourg. A famous military engineer named Jacques Vandermeulen (1563-1628) served under the Spanish Habsburg monarchs during the Eighty Years' War.

During the 17th century, the VANDERMEULEN name gained prominence in the Dutch Republic. Anthonie Vandermeulen (1615-1690) was a renowned Baroque painter from Rotterdam known for his depictions of military battles and hunting scenes.

As the Dutch established colonies in the Americas and other parts of the world, the VANDERMEULEN name spread to new territories. One example is Pieter Vandermeulen (1721-1783), a Dutch settler who became a prominent landowner and businessman in the Cape Colony of South Africa.

Another noteworthy figure was Robert Vandermeulen (1824-1895), a Belgian lawyer and politician who served as the Minister of Justice in the Belgian government during the late 19th century.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Vandermeulen

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

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

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

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