VanDusen last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of VanDusen

Derived from Dutch, referring to someone who lived near a dovecote or an area inhabited by doves or pigeons.

VanDusen, 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 VanDusen surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of VanDusen in America

VanDusen is the 9227th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The VanDusen surname appeared 3,529 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname VanDusen.

We can also compare 2010 data for VanDusen 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.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 9227 8531 7.84%
Count 3,529 3,558 -0.82%
Proportion per 100k 1.20 1.32 -9.52%

The history of the last name VanDusen

The surname VANDUSEN originated in the Netherlands, with roots dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the Dutch phrase "van der Dussen", which translates to "from the dunes" or "from the sandy area". This suggests that the earliest bearers of this name likely hailed from regions characterized by dunes or sandy terrain.

Records indicate that variations of the name, such as Van der Dusen, Van der Dussen, and Van Dusen, appeared in Dutch historical documents and registers from the late 1500s onward. One of the earliest known instances is found in a 1593 census record from the city of Rotterdam, where a certain Jan van der Dusen was listed as a resident.

The VANDUSEN surname made its way to the American colonies in the 17th century, with the arrival of Dutch settlers in what is now New York. One of the first recorded instances of the name in the New World is that of Hendrick Jacobsen VANDUSEN, who was born around 1650 in Flatbush, Long Island, New York.

Throughout the centuries, the VANDUSEN name has been associated with several notable individuals. One such figure was James VANDUSEN (1781-1859), a prominent landowner and businessman from Claverack, New York. He played a significant role in the development of the local community and served as a member of the New York State Assembly in the early 19th century.

Another noteworthy bearer of the VANDUSEN name was William VANDUSEN (1789-1874), a lawyer and politician from Pennsylvania. He served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from 1833 to 1837, representing Pennsylvania's 12th congressional district.

In the realm of literature, Lucine VANDUSEN (1910-1999) was a renowned American author and poet. Her works, including the poetry collection "The Anchorage" and the novel "The Remembrance of Things Past", earned her critical acclaim and several literary awards.

One cannot overlook the contributions of Walter VANDUSEN (1888-1959), a pioneering American aviation engineer. He played a crucial role in the development of early aircraft designs and held numerous patents related to aircraft construction and aerodynamics.

Finally, Albert VANDUSEN (1917-2005) was a distinguished American biochemist and academic. He made significant contributions to the understanding of enzyme kinetics and served as a professor at various prestigious universities, including Cornell University and the University of Pennsylvania.

These are just a few examples of the rich history and legacy associated with the VANDUSEN surname, which has roots dating back to the Netherlands and has since been carried by individuals who have left their mark across various fields and professions.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name VanDusen

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

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 VanDusen was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 93.96% 3,316
Non-Hispanic Black Only 1.19% 42
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only 0.54% 19
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.45% 16
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 1.79% 63
Hispanic Origin 2.07% 73

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 VanDusen has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 93.96% 95.11% -1.22%
Black 1.19% 1.32% -10.36%
Asian and Pacific Islander 0.54% 0.37% 37.36%
American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.45% 0.65% -36.36%
Two or More Races 1.79% 1.32% 30.23%
Hispanic 2.07% 1.24% 50.15%

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

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

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"VanDusen last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on November 22, 2024. http://namecensus.com/last-names/vandusen-surname-popularity/.

"VanDusen last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/vandusen-surname-popularity/. Accessed 22 November, 2024

VanDusen last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/vandusen-surname-popularity/.

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