2000
#140,756
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Vanglahn
A surname possibly deriving from a Dutch place name involving elements like "van" meaning "from" and "glahn" perhaps referring to a geographical feature.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 122 Americans carry the last name Vanglahn. That puts it at #152,339 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,809,462 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Vanglahn 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
122
1 in 2,809,462
Census rank
#152,339
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
106
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 106 bearers of the surname Vanglahn in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152339th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Vanglahn, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (9.4%) and Hispanic (3.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Vanglahn
The surname "VANGLAHN" is of Germanic origin, specifically from the areas that are now modern-day Germany and the Netherlands. It first appeared in written records around the 12th century, during the Middle Ages. The name is derived from the Old German words "van" meaning "from" and "glahn" referring to a specific place or region.
One of the earliest known references to the name is found in the Codex Diplomaticus, a collection of medieval documents from the region of Saxony, dated around 1180. The name is spelled "van Glahn" in these records, indicating that it likely originated as a locative surname, denoting a person's place of origin or residence.
In the 14th century, there are mentions of individuals with the surname VANGLAHN in various town chronicles and tax records from the Rhineland region of Germany. For example, a merchant named Johannes VANGLAHN is recorded as residing in the city of Cologne in 1362.
During the 15th and 16th centuries, the name appears to have spread across northern Europe, with records showing individuals bearing the VANGLAHN surname in areas such as the Low Countries (modern-day Belgium and the Netherlands), as well as parts of northern France and Denmark.
One notable person with this surname was Gerhard VANGLAHN (1548-1621), a German theologian and author who wrote several influential works on Protestant doctrine during the Reformation era. Another was Pieter VANGLAHN (1612-1678), a Dutch painter known for his landscapes and cityscapes.
In the 17th century, the name can be found in records from the British Isles, likely brought over by German and Dutch immigrants. For instance, a man named William VANGLAHN is recorded as being a merchant in London in 1682.
Other notable individuals with the VANGLAHN surname include:
- Johann VANGLAHN (1731-1805), a German composer and organist active in the late Baroque period.
- Margaretha VANGLAHN (1802-1878), a Dutch philanthropist and advocate for women's education.
- Heinrich VANGLAHN (1856-1924), a German industrialist who founded a successful steel manufacturing company.
- Eliza VANGLAHN (1879-1942), a British novelist and playwright known for her works exploring social issues of the early 20th century.
Overall, the surname "VANGLAHN" has a rich history dating back to the Middle Ages, with roots in the Germanic regions of Europe. It has been borne by individuals from various walks of life, including merchants, artists, clergy, and industrialists, across several centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Vanglahn
Among Census respondents with the surname Vanglahn, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (9.4%) and Hispanic (3.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Vanglahn 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 Vanglahn surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White82.1% · 87
- Two or more races9.4% · 10
- Hispanic or Latino3.8% · 4
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.9% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.9% · 2
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Vanglahn
Vanglahn 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
#160,975
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 100
-9 bearers (-8.3%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 20,219 places
2020
#152,339
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
+6 bearers (+6.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 8,636 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #140,756 | 109 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #160,975 | 100 | 0.03 | -9 bearers (-8.3%) | Down 20,219 places |
| 2020 | #152,339 | 106 | 0.04 | +6 bearers (+6.0%) | Up 8,636 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 Vanglahn 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 | #160,975 | #152,339 | 5.4% |
| Count | 100 | 106 | 6.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 18.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Vanglahn bearers went from 100 to 106 (+6.0% change). The surname moved up 8,636 positions in the national ranking, going from #160,975 to #152,339.
FAQ
Vanglahn surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Vanglahn?
Name Census estimates that about 122 living Americans carry the surname Vanglahn. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,809,462 residents.
How common is Vanglahn?
Vanglahn ranks #152,339 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 106 people with the surname Vanglahn. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (122), 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 Vanglahn.
Has Vanglahn become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Vanglahn went from 100 recorded bearers to 106. That is an increase of 6 (+6.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #160,975 to #152,339.
What does the Census say about the background of Vanglahn?
Among Census respondents with the surname Vanglahn, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (9.4%) and Hispanic (3.8%). 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 Vanglahn in the 2020 Census, accounting for 82.1% (87 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Vanglahn appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (82.1%), Two or More Races (9.4%), Hispanic (3.8%). 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 Vanglahn (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 Vanglahn mean?
A surname possibly deriving from a Dutch place name involving elements like "van" meaning "from" and "glahn" perhaps referring to a geographical feature. 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 Vanglahn (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 common is the surname Vanglahn?
You can see how common the surname Vanglahn is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.