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

VanDyke, 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 VanDyke surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of VanDyke in America

VanDyke is the 2131st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The VanDyke surname appeared 17,030 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 6 people would have the surname VanDyke.

We can also compare 2010 data for VanDyke 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 VanDyke

The surname VANDYKE originated in the Low Countries, which today comprises parts of the Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg. It emerged during the Middle Ages, likely between the 12th and 15th centuries. The name's earliest roots can be traced back to the Dutch phrase "van de dijk," which translates to "from the dike" or "from the embankment."

In the Netherlands and Flanders, dikes played a crucial role in land reclamation and flood control, leading to the development of many place names incorporating the word "dijk." The VANDYKE surname may have been initially used to identify individuals who lived near a specific dike or worked as dike builders or maintainers.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the VANDYKE surname is found in the Guelderland province of the Netherlands, where a Johan van de Dijc is mentioned in a document dated 1387. Another early record comes from the city of Bruges in modern-day Belgium, where a Pieter van den Dijcke is listed in a census from 1466.

The name VANDYKE has undergone various spellings over time, including van de Dijc, van den Dijcke, Van der Dyck, and Van Dijck. These variations reflect regional linguistic differences and the evolving orthography of the Dutch language.

One of the most famous individuals to bear the VANDYKE surname was the Flemish painter Sir Anthony van Dyck (1599-1641), renowned for his portraiture and considered one of the greatest Baroque artists. His distinctive style of facial hair, characterized by a pointed beard and mustache, became known as the "Van Dyke" beard.

Other notable figures with the VANDYKE surname include:

• Jacob van der Dycke (c. 1575-1632), a Dutch Golden Age painter
• Hendrick van der Dycke (c. 1590-1637), a Flemish painter and brother of Jacob
• William Vandyke (1856-1932), an American lawyer and politician from Pennsylvania
• Stephen Van Dyck (1930-2012), an American actor and voice artist

While the VANDYKE surname originated in the Low Countries, it has since spread to various parts of the world due to migration and intermarriage. However, its roots remain firmly tied to the historical significance of dikes in the Netherlands and Flanders, serving as a testament to the region's long-standing struggle against the elements and its ingenuity in land management.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name VanDyke

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

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

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

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