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

VanGilder, 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 VanGilder surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of VanGilder in America

VanGilder is the 14848th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The VanGilder surname appeared 1,995 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 VanGilder.

We can also compare 2010 data for VanGilder 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 VanGilder

The surname VANGILDER is of Dutch origin, with the earliest records dating back to the late 16th century in the Netherlands. It is believed to have originated from a combination of the Dutch words "van" meaning "from" and "gilder" referring to a member of a guild or association.

In the early 17th century, many Dutch settlers migrated to the newly established Dutch colony of New Netherland, which encompassed parts of present-day New York, New Jersey, and Delaware. Records show that several individuals bearing the name VANGILDER were among these early colonists, likely hailing from areas such as Friesland or Groningen.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the surname VANGILDER can be found in a 1638 document from the Dutch West India Company, which governed the colony of New Netherland. The document lists a "Willem Jansen VANGILDER" as a resident of the settlement of Rensselaerswyck, now known as Albany, New York.

Another notable early bearer of the name was Johannes VANGILDER, born around 1650 in New Netherland. He was among the first settlers of what is now Monmouth County, New Jersey, and his descendants went on to establish themselves throughout the region.

As the Dutch influence in the colony waned and English rule took hold, the name underwent various spelling variations, such as VAN GILDER, VAN GILDOR, and VAN GUILDER, reflecting the challenges of transliterating Dutch names into English.

Among the notable individuals with the surname VANGILDER throughout history are:

1. Peter VANGILDER (1726-1798), an American soldier who fought in the Revolutionary War and was present at the famous crossing of the Delaware River with George Washington.

2. John VANGILDER (1791-1864), a prominent businessman and landowner in Ohio, who founded the town of Van Gilder (now known as Pandora) in Putnam County.

3. Marinus VANGILDER (1823-1901), a Dutch-American painter known for his landscapes and scenes depicting rural life in the Netherlands.

4. Amelia VANGILDER (1864-1942), an American educator and suffragist who campaigned for women's right to vote in the early 20th century.

5. Charles VANGILDER (1896-1978), a professional baseball player who spent several seasons in the Major Leagues, primarily with the Detroit Tigers and Chicago White Sox.

While the VANGILDER surname may have evolved over time, its Dutch roots and connection to the early Dutch settlers in North America remain a significant part of its historical legacy.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name VanGilder

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!