2000
#136,783
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Vangent
A Dutch surname indicating someone hailing from the town of Gent.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 140 Americans carry the last name Vangent. That puts it at #140,525 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,448,245 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Vangent 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
140
1 in 2,448,245
Census rank
#140,525
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
122
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 122 bearers of the surname Vangent in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 140525th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Vangent, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.3%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (4.9%) and Hispanic (3.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Vangent
The surname Vangent has its roots in the Netherlands, originating in the late 16th century. It is believed to be derived from the Dutch words "van" meaning "from" and "gent" referring to the city of Ghent. This suggests that the name likely originated from someone who hailed from or had a connection to the city of Ghent.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Vangent can be found in the baptismal records of the Dutch Reformed Church in Amsterdam, where a child named Pieter Vangent was baptized in 1592. This provides evidence that the name was in use during the late Renaissance period in the Low Countries.
In the 17th century, the Vangent surname appears in several historical documents related to Dutch maritime activities. For instance, a ship's log from 1642 mentions a sailor named Jan Vangent, who served aboard a merchant vessel sailing to the East Indies.
During the Dutch Golden Age, a notable figure bearing the Vangent name was Cornelis Vangent (1624-1687), a successful merchant and textile trader from Leiden. His business dealings and wealth allowed him to acquire several properties in the city, cementing the family's prominence within the local community.
Another historical figure of note was Adriaan Vangent (1719-1792), a Dutch painter known for his landscapes and genre scenes. His works were exhibited in various exhibitions and can be found in several Dutch museums today.
In the 19th century, the Vangent surname crossed the Atlantic as Dutch immigrants settled in North America. One such individual was Pieter Vangent (1822-1891), who arrived in New York City in 1846 and later became a successful businessman in the city's thriving textile industry.
The name Vangent has also been associated with various places and locations throughout its history. For instance, the village of Vangendertse in the Dutch province of Gelderland is believed to have derived its name from a combination of the surname Vangent and the Dutch suffix "-dertse," indicating a connection to the Vangent family.
While not an exhaustive list, these examples provide insights into the rich history and origins of the Vangent surname, tracing its journey from the Low Countries to various parts of the world, and highlighting notable individuals who have borne this name throughout the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Vangent
Among Census respondents with the surname Vangent, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.3%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (4.9%) and Hispanic (3.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Vangent 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 Vangent surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.3% · 109
- Asian and Pacific Islander4.9% · 6
- Hispanic or Latino3.3% · 4
- Two or more races2.5% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Vangent
Vangent 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
#137,327
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 122
+9 bearers (+8.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 544 places
2020
#140,525
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 122
+0 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 3,198 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #136,783 | 113 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #137,327 | 122 | 0.04 | +9 bearers (+8.0%) | Down 544 places |
| 2020 | #140,525 | 122 | 0.04 | +0 bearers (+0.0%) | Down 3,198 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 Vangent 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 | #137,327 | #140,525 | -2.3% |
| Count | 122 | 122 | 0.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 2.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Vangent bearers went from 122 to 122 (+0.0% change). The surname moved down 3,198 positions in the national ranking, going from #137,327 to #140,525.
FAQ
Vangent surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Vangent?
Name Census estimates that about 140 living Americans carry the surname Vangent. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,448,245 residents.
How common is Vangent?
Vangent ranks #140,525 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 122 people with the surname Vangent. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (140), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Vangent.
Has Vangent become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Vangent went from 122 recorded bearers to 122. That is an increase of 0 (+0.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #137,327 to #140,525.
What does the Census say about the background of Vangent?
Among Census respondents with the surname Vangent, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.3%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (4.9%) and Hispanic (3.3%). 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 Vangent in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.3% (109 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Vangent appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.3%), Asian/Pacific Islander (4.9%), Hispanic (3.3%). 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 Vangent (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 Vangent mean?
A Dutch surname indicating someone hailing from the town of Gent. 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 Vangent (0.04 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 last name Vangent?
Want to know how common the surname Vangent is? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.