2010
#156,044
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Vandewerker
Dutch occupational surname referring to a linen or fabric maker or weaver.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 138 Americans carry the last name Vandewerker. That puts it at #142,049 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,483,727 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Vandewerker 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
138
1 in 2,483,727
Census rank
#142,049
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
120
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 120 bearers of the surname Vandewerker in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142049th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Vandewerker, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.0%) and Two or More Races (4.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Vandewerker
The surname VANDEWERKER has its origins in the Netherlands, and it can be traced back to the 16th century. It is derived from the Dutch words "van de" meaning "from the" and "werker" meaning "worker" or "laborer." The name likely referred to someone who worked or lived near a specific location.
The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in Dutch records from the 1500s and 1600s. One of the earliest known individuals with this surname was Pieter VANDEWERKER, who was born in Amsterdam in 1587. He was a merchant and trader who traveled extensively throughout Europe.
In the 17th century, the name appears in records from the Dutch colonies in North America, particularly in New Amsterdam (present-day New York City) and the surrounding areas. Jan VANDEWERKER, born in 1628 in Leiden, was among the first to settle in New Netherland, arriving in 1654.
Another notable bearer of this surname was Willem VANDEWERKER, who was born in Rotterdam in 1712. He was a prominent shipbuilder and played a significant role in the Dutch maritime industry during the 18th century.
The name VANDEWERKER can also be found in historical records from other parts of Europe, such as Germany and Belgium, where variations like VANDERWERKER and VANDERWERKEN were used. It is likely that some individuals with these similar surnames migrated to different regions over time.
One of the earliest known instances of the name in England was recorded in 1795, when a man named Cornelius VANDEWERKER was born in London. He was a successful merchant and trader who established business connections with the Netherlands and other parts of Europe.
Another individual of note was Jacobus VANDEWERKER, born in 1822 in Rotterdam. He was a prominent engineer and inventor who made significant contributions to the development of early steam engines and other industrial machinery.
Other notable individuals with the surname VANDEWERKER include:
1. Hendrick VANDEWERKER (1765-1842), a Dutch-American farmer and landowner in upstate New York.
2. Maria VANDEWERKER (1832-1912), a Dutch author and poet who wrote extensively about life in the Netherlands during the 19th century.
3. Pieter VANDEWERKER (1870-1938), a Belgian painter and artist known for his landscapes and portraits.
4. Johannes VANDEWERKER (1895-1972), a Dutch mathematician and professor who made significant contributions to the field of algebraic topology.
5. Willem VANDEWERKER (1925-2001), a Dutch-American engineer and entrepreneur who founded a successful manufacturing company in California.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Vandewerker
Among Census respondents with the surname Vandewerker, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.0%) and Two or More Races (4.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Vandewerker 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 Vandewerker surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.0% · 108
- Hispanic or Latino5.0% · 6
- Two or more races4.2% · 5
- Black or African American0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Vandewerker
Vandewerker appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#142,049
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
+16 bearers (+15.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 13,995 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #156,044 | 104 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #142,049 | 120 | 0.04 | +16 bearers (+15.4%) | Up 13,995 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 Vandewerker 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 | #156,044 | #142,049 | 9.0% |
| Count | 104 | 120 | 15.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 0.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Vandewerker bearers went from 104 to 120 (+15.4% change). The surname moved up 13,995 positions in the national ranking, going from #156,044 to #142,049.
FAQ
Vandewerker surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Vandewerker?
Name Census estimates that about 138 living Americans carry the surname Vandewerker. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,483,727 residents.
How common is Vandewerker?
Vandewerker ranks #142,049 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 120 people with the surname Vandewerker. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (138), 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 Vandewerker.
Has Vandewerker become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Vandewerker went from 104 recorded bearers to 120. That is an increase of 16 (+15.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #156,044 to #142,049.
What does the Census say about the background of Vandewerker?
Among Census respondents with the surname Vandewerker, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.0%) and Two or More Races (4.2%). 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 Vandewerker in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.0% (108 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Vandewerker appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.0%), Hispanic (5.0%), Two or More Races (4.2%). 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 Vandewerker (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 Vandewerker mean?
Dutch occupational surname referring to a linen or fabric maker or weaver. 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 Vandewerker (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 Vandewerker?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.