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

Vanheel, 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 Vanheel surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Vanheel in America

Vanheel is the 42378th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Vanheel surname appeared 512 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Vanheel.

We can also compare 2010 data for Vanheel 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 Vanheel

The surname VANHEEL is of Dutch origin, with its roots traced back to the Middle Ages in the Low Countries, which comprised parts of present-day Netherlands, Belgium, and northern France. The name is believed to have derived from the Dutch phrase "van Hel," which translates to "from Hell," referring to a place name rather than the religious concept.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the VANHEEL surname dates back to the 14th century, where it appeared in the municipal records of the city of Breda, located in the southern Netherlands. The name was likely associated with individuals who hailed from a place called "Hel" or a variation of the name.

During the 15th century, the VANHEEL surname gained prominence in the region of Flanders, which encompassed parts of modern-day Belgium and northern France. Several historical documents from this period mention individuals bearing the surname, including a merchant named Willem VANHEEL, who resided in the city of Ghent in the late 1400s.

In the 16th century, the VANHEEL name appeared in the records of the Dutch Revolt, a series of uprisings against Spanish rule in the Low Countries. One notable figure was Pieter VANHEEL, a military commander who fought alongside the Dutch rebel forces during the Eighty Years' War (1568-1648).

The 17th century saw the VANHEEL surname spread across various parts of Europe, with some individuals migrating to neighboring regions like Germany and England. One such example is Johannes VANHEEL, a Dutch painter born in 1631, who gained recognition for his landscape and genre paintings.

In the 18th century, the name VANHEEL was associated with several notable figures, including Adriaan VANHEEL, a Flemish composer and organist who lived from 1705 to 1778. Another prominent individual was Jan VANHEEL, a Dutch botanist and naturalist born in 1743, who contributed significantly to the study of plant species in the Dutch East Indies (present-day Indonesia).

The 19th century brought forth Willem VANHEEL, a Dutch politician and lawyer who served as a member of the Second Chamber of the Dutch Parliament from 1848 to 1866. Additionally, the name was carried by Hendrik VANHEEL, a Belgian architect born in 1825, who designed several landmarks in Brussels, including the Bourse (Stock Exchange) building.

As the VANHEEL surname continued to spread throughout the centuries, it became associated with various professions and notable individuals across different fields, solidifying its place in the rich tapestry of European history and culture.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Vanheel

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

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

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

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