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

Vanderwerf, 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 Vanderwerf surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Vanderwerf in America

Vanderwerf is the 26598th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Vanderwerf surname appeared 916 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 Vanderwerf.

We can also compare 2010 data for Vanderwerf 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 Vanderwerf

The surname VANDERWERF originated in the Netherlands, with the earliest records dating back to the 16th century. It is a Dutch locational surname derived from the words "van der" meaning "from the" and "werf" meaning "wharf" or "shipyard." The name likely originated from a specific location near a wharf or shipyard in the Netherlands.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname VANDERWERF can be found in a Dutch census record from 1587, where a family with this name was listed as residing in the city of Amsterdam. The name was also present in various Dutch municipal records and church registers from the 17th and 18th centuries, primarily concentrated in the coastal regions of the Netherlands.

In the late 16th century, a prominent Dutch naval officer named Gerrit VANDERWERF (1551-1617) played a significant role in the Dutch Revolt against Spanish rule. He commanded several naval expeditions and was instrumental in securing Dutch control over strategic waterways.

Another notable figure bearing the surname VANDERWERF was Nicolaas VANDERWERF (1627-1695), a Dutch statesman and diplomat who served as the Pensionary of Holland from 1670 to 1672. He played a crucial role in the negotiations that led to the Peace of Nijmegen in 1678, which ended the Franco-Dutch War.

In the 19th century, Jan VANDERWERF (1810-1892) was a respected Dutch painter known for his landscape and genre paintings. His works are displayed in several museums throughout the Netherlands and are considered important examples of the Dutch Romantic movement.

The surname VANDERWERF also appears in various historical records from other parts of Europe, particularly in areas with strong Dutch influence or migration. For instance, in the 17th century, a family with the name VANDERWERF settled in the Cape Colony in South Africa, which was then under Dutch control.

While the surname VANDERWERF is most commonly associated with its Dutch origins, it has also been recorded in other spellings and variations, such as VANDERWERFF, VANDERWERVE, and VANDERWERVEN, reflecting regional linguistic differences and adaptations over time.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Vanderwerf

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

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

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

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