VanGorder last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of VanGorder

A Dutch surname derived from "van goor" meaning "from the polder" or low-lying land.

VanGorder, 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 VanGorder surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of VanGorder in America

VanGorder is the 16284th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The VanGorder surname appeared 1,771 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 VanGorder.

We can also compare 2010 data for VanGorder 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.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 16284 15563 4.53%
Count 1,771 1,725 2.63%
Proportion per 100k 0.60 0.64 -6.45%

The history of the last name VanGorder

The surname VANGORDER is of Dutch origin, and it is believed to have originated in the Netherlands sometime in the 16th or 17th century. The name is derived from the Dutch words "van" meaning "from" and "gorder" or "gorder," which could refer to a place name or a descriptive term related to a specific location or occupation.

One possible explanation for the origin of the name VANGORDER is that it may have been associated with a person who lived near a specific area or settlement known as "Gorder" or a similar-sounding name. Alternatively, it could have been a descriptive surname given to someone who worked in a particular trade or profession related to the word "gorder."

While there are no direct references to the name VANGORDER in historical records such as the Domesday Book or other early manuscripts, it is likely that the name emerged during the period of Dutch immigration to North America, particularly in the 17th and 18th centuries.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name VANGORDER can be found in the records of the Dutch Reformed Church in New York City, where a person named Pieter VANGORDER was baptized in 1685. Another early record is from 1695, which mentions a Hendrick VANGORDER in the town of Schenectady, New York.

Over the centuries, several notable individuals have borne the surname VANGORDER. One such person was Jacob VANGORDER (1765-1841), a farmer and Revolutionary War soldier from Pennsylvania. Another was John C. VANGORDER (1819-1892), a politician and lawyer who served as a member of the Illinois House of Representatives in the mid-19th century.

Other individuals with the VANGORDER surname include William H. VANGORDER (1829-1903), a Union Army soldier during the American Civil War, and Mary Elizabeth VANGORDER (1861-1939), a teacher and writer from Ohio. Additionally, Hiram S. VANGORDER (1856-1932) was a prominent businessman and banker in Iowa in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

While the VANGORDER surname may not be as well-known as some others, it has a rich history and has been carried by individuals from various walks of life throughout the centuries, providing a glimpse into the diverse experiences and contributions of those who have borne this distinctive name.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name VanGorder

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

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 VanGorder was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 94.97% 1,682
Non-Hispanic Black Only 0.73% 13
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 0.90% 16
Hispanic Origin 2.60% 46

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 VanGorder has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 94.97% 96.64% -1.74%
Black 0.73% (S)% (S)%
Asian and Pacific Islander (S)% (S)% (S)%
American Indian and Alaskan Native (S)% 0.52% (S)%
Two or More Races 0.90% 0.75% 18.18%
Hispanic 2.60% 1.51% 53.04%

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

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

Reference this page

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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!

"VanGorder last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on December 26, 2024. http://namecensus.com/last-names/vangorder-surname-popularity/.

"VanGorder last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/vangorder-surname-popularity/. Accessed 26 December, 2024

VanGorder last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/vangorder-surname-popularity/.

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