2000
#8,531
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,558
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.32
Rare Last name
Vandusen
Derived from Dutch, referring to someone who lived near a dovecote or an area inhabited by doves or pigeons.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,905 Americans carry the last name Vandusen. That puts it at #9,201 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.14 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 87,773 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Vandusen 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
3.9K
1 in 87,773
Census rank
#9,201
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,405 bearers of the surname Vandusen in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.14 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9201st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Vandusen, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.8%) and Hispanic (3.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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Records indicate that variations of the name, such as Van der Dusen, Van der Dussen, and Van Dusen, appeared in Dutch historical documents and registers from the late 1500s onward.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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Vandusen
Among Census respondents with the surname Vandusen, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.8%) and Hispanic (3.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Vandusen 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 Vandusen surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.6% · 3,085
- Two or more races3.8% · 128
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 120
- Black or African American1.2% · 42
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 21
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 9
Timeline
Historical Census data for Vandusen
Vandusen 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
#9,227
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,529
-29 bearers (-0.8%)
Per 100,000 1.20
Rank movement Down 696 places
2020
#9,201
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,405
-124 bearers (-3.5%)
Per 100,000 1.14
Rank movement Up 26 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,531 | 3,558 | 1.32 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,227 | 3,529 | 1.20 | -29 bearers (-0.8%) | Down 696 places |
| 2020 | #9,201 | 3,405 | 1.14 | -124 bearers (-3.5%) | Up 26 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 Vandusen 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 | #9,227 | #9,201 | 0.3% |
| Count | 3,529 | 3,405 | -3.5% |
| Per 100K | 1.20 | 1.14 | -5.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Vandusen bearers went from 3,529 to 3,405 (-3.5% change). The surname moved up 26 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,227 to #9,201.
FAQ
Vandusen surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Vandusen?
Name Census estimates that about 3,905 living Americans carry the surname Vandusen. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 87,773 residents.
How common is Vandusen?
Vandusen ranks #9,201 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.14 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,405 people with the surname Vandusen. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,905), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.14 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.14 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Vandusen.
Has Vandusen become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Vandusen went from 3,529 recorded bearers to 3,405. That is a decrease of 124 (-3.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #9,227 to #9,201.
What does the Census say about the background of Vandusen?
Among Census respondents with the surname Vandusen, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.8%) and Hispanic (3.5%). 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 Vandusen in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.6% (3,085 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Vandusen appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.6%), Two or More Races (3.8%), Hispanic (3.5%). 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 Vandusen (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 Vandusen mean?
Derived from Dutch, referring to someone who lived near a dovecote or an area inhabited by doves or pigeons. 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 Vandusen (1.14 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 have the surname Vandusen?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.