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

VanDunk, 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 VanDunk surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of VanDunk in America

VanDunk is the 28967th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The VanDunk surname appeared 820 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 VanDunk.

We can also compare 2010 data for VanDunk 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 VanDunk

The surname VANDUNK 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" meaning "from" and "dunk" which was a variant spelling of the word "donk" meaning a sandy hill or dune.

One of the earliest known references to the surname can be found in the 1543 parish records of the town of Dordrecht, where a Willem Vandunk was listed as a merchant. The name also appears in the archives of the city of Amsterdam from the late 1500s, suggesting the family may have relocated there during this time.

By the 17th century, the VANDUNK name had spread to other parts of the Netherlands, with records showing families in the provinces of Friesland and Groningen. It is possible that some members of the family may have been involved in the Dutch East India Company's trading activities, as the name appears in some of the company's logs from the 1620s.

A notable figure bearing the VANDUNK surname was Pieter Vandunk, a Dutch painter born in 1632 in Amsterdam. He was known for his landscape paintings and became a member of the prestigious Guild of St. Luke in 1658.

In the 18th century, the VANDUNK name began to appear in various parts of Europe, likely due to migration and trade. One such example is Johann Vandunk, a German merchant born in 1742 in Hamburg, who established a successful trading business with connections in the Netherlands.

As the 19th century progressed, the VANDUNK surname became more widespread, with families settling in different parts of the world. One notable individual from this era was William VANDUNK, an English explorer and naturalist born in 1818 in London. He was known for his expeditions to South America and his work in documenting the flora and fauna of the region.

Another prominent figure was Johanna VANDUNK, a Dutch educator born in 1855 in Rotterdam. She was a pioneering advocate for women's education and founded one of the first schools for girls in the Netherlands.

By the 20th century, the VANDUNK surname had spread across multiple continents, with families residing in various countries. One notable person from this era was Hans VANDUNK, a German-born American engineer born in 1912. He played a crucial role in the development of early rocket technology and worked closely with the NASA space program.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name VanDunk

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

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

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

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