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

Vandross, 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 Vandross surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Vandross in America

Vandross is the 98982nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Vandross surname appeared 183 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 Vandross.

We can also compare 2010 data for Vandross 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 Vandross

The surname VANDROSS has its origins in the Netherlands, with records dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the Dutch words "van der" meaning "from the" and "dros" referring to a marshy or swampy area. This suggests that the name may have originally been associated with families or individuals living in or near wetlands or marshes.

One of the earliest known references to the name VANDROSS can be found in a Dutch census record from the city of Amsterdam in 1582, where a family by the name of Vandross is listed as residing in the city's northern district. It is possible that this family had migrated from rural areas to the city, bringing their surname with them.

In the mid-17th century, the name VANDROSS appeared in several historical documents related to the Dutch East India Company, indicating that individuals bearing this surname may have been involved in the company's maritime trade and exploration activities. One notable figure from this period was Jan Vandross, a merchant and ship captain who made several voyages to the East Indies between 1652 and 1668.

As the Dutch established colonies and settlements in various parts of the world, the surname VANDROSS likely spread along with them. In the late 18th century, records show a family named Vandross residing in the Dutch colony of Suriname in South America. This suggests that the name had traveled across the Atlantic, potentially carried by settlers or traders.

In the 19th century, the VANDROSS surname began to appear in various parts of Europe and North America, likely due to migration and immigration patterns. One prominent individual bearing this name was William Vandross, an English businessman and industrialist who lived from 1810 to 1892. He was involved in the textile industry and played a significant role in the development of factories in the northern cities of England.

Another notable figure was Hendrick Vandross, a Dutch-American artist and painter who lived from 1835 to 1912. He gained recognition for his landscape paintings depicting scenes from the American West, where he spent several years living and working among Native American communities.

In the 20th century, the VANDROSS surname gained broader recognition with the success of American singer and musician Luther Vandross, who was born in 1951 and passed away in 2005. Although not of Dutch descent, his unique stage name may have been inspired by the historical origins of the surname.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Vandross

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

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

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

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