2000
#5,375
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,965
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.21
Rare Last name
Vandiver
An English occupational surname for a diver or a ferry operator.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 6,240 Americans carry the last name Vandiver. That puts it at #6,062 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.82 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 54,929 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Vandiver 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
6.2K
1 in 54,929
Census rank
#6,062
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
5.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 5,442 bearers of the surname Vandiver in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.82 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6062nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Vandiver, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.1%. The next largest groups are Black (8.0%) and Two or More Races (4.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Vandiver
The surname VANDIVER is of Dutch origin, with its roots tracing back to the Netherlands in the 16th century. It derives from the Dutch words "van der" meaning "from the" and "diver" which translates to "deep." The combination suggests the name may have originated from a place name referring to a deep location or a body of water.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name VANDIVER can be found in the Dutch municipality of Renswoude, where a family bearing the name resided in the late 1500s. Historical records from this region show variations in spelling, including "Van der Dyver" and "Van der Diver."
In the 17th century, the VANDIVER surname began appearing in historical documents in the British colonies of North America, suggesting that Dutch settlers bearing this name had immigrated to the New World. Notable individuals from this period include Jacob Vandiver, a farmer who settled in Virginia in the 1650s, and Pieter Vandiver, a merchant who established a trading post in New Amsterdam (present-day New York City) in the 1670s.
The VANDIVER name gained further prominence in the 18th century, with several individuals leaving their mark on history. William Vandiver (1715-1785) was a prominent landowner and politician in Maryland, serving in the state's General Assembly. In South Carolina, Rebecca Vandiver (1738-1810) was a renowned midwife and herbalist, known for her work in promoting maternal health and natural remedies.
During the American Revolutionary War, the VANDIVER name was associated with both loyalists and patriots. Captain John Vandiver (1745-1823) fought on the British side, while his brother, Thomas Vandiver (1749-1827), served in the Continental Army under General George Washington.
In the 19th century, the VANDIVER family continued to make significant contributions across various fields. Henry Vandiver (1802-1874) was a renowned educator and author, publishing several books on mathematics and philosophy. His contemporary, Sarah Vandiver (1815-1892), was a pioneering women's rights activist and abolitionist, working alongside prominent figures like Frederick Douglass and Susan B. Anthony.
The VANDIVER surname has persisted through the centuries, with notable individuals continuing to shape different spheres of life. Some examples include the scientist and mathematician Harry Shults Vandiver (1882-1973), who made significant contributions to number theory, and the award-winning novelist and essayist Elizabeth Vandiver (born 1944), known for her works exploring themes of identity and the human experience.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Vandiver
Among Census respondents with the surname Vandiver, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.1%. The next largest groups are Black (8.0%) and Two or More Races (4.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Vandiver 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 Vandiver surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White83.1% · 4,520
- Black or African American8.0% · 438
- Two or more races4.5% · 244
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 153
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.2% · 65
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 22
Timeline
Historical Census data for Vandiver
Vandiver 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
#5,551
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,263
+298 bearers (+5.0%)
Per 100,000 2.12
Rank movement Down 176 places
2020
#6,062
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,442
-821 bearers (-13.1%)
Per 100,000 1.82
Rank movement Down 511 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #5,375 | 5,965 | 2.21 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #5,551 | 6,263 | 2.12 | +298 bearers (+5.0%) | Down 176 places |
| 2020 | #6,062 | 5,442 | 1.82 | -821 bearers (-13.1%) | Down 511 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 Vandiver 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 | #5,551 | #6,062 | -9.2% |
| Count | 6,263 | 5,442 | -13.1% |
| Per 100K | 2.12 | 1.82 | -14.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Vandiver bearers went from 6,263 to 5,442 (-13.1% change). The surname moved down 511 positions in the national ranking, going from #5,551 to #6,062.
FAQ
Vandiver surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Vandiver?
Name Census estimates that about 6,240 living Americans carry the surname Vandiver. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 54,929 residents.
How common is Vandiver?
Vandiver ranks #6,062 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.82 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 5,442 people with the surname Vandiver. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (6,240), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.82 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.82 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Vandiver.
Has Vandiver become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Vandiver went from 6,263 recorded bearers to 5,442. That is a decrease of 821 (-13.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #5,551 to #6,062.
What does the Census say about the background of Vandiver?
Among Census respondents with the surname Vandiver, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.1%. The next largest groups are Black (8.0%) and Two or More Races (4.5%). 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 Vandiver in the 2020 Census, accounting for 83.1% (4,520 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Vandiver appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (83.1%), Black (8.0%), Two or More Races (4.5%). 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 Vandiver (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 Vandiver mean?
An English occupational surname for a diver or a ferry operator. 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 Vandiver (1.82 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 people are called Vandiver?
You can see how common the surname Vandiver is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.