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

VanHouten, 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 VanHouten surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of VanHouten in America

VanHouten is the 7582nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The VanHouten surname appeared 4,383 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 VanHouten.

We can also compare 2010 data for VanHouten 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 VanHouten

The surname VANHOUTEN has its origins in the Netherlands, with the earliest recorded instances dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to be derived from the Dutch phrase "van houten," which translates to "of wood" or "from the woods." This suggests that the name may have originated from someone who lived near or worked in a forested area.

One of the earliest known mentions of the VANHOUTEN surname can be found in the Leiden archives from 1582, where a record exists of a man named Pieter VANHOUTEN. It is likely that the name had been in use for some time before this, as surnames were becoming more commonplace in the Netherlands during the late Middle Ages.

Another notable early reference to the VANHOUTEN name comes from the baptismal records of the Dutch Reformed Church in New Amsterdam (now New York City) in 1639. Here, a child named Hendrick VANHOUTEN was baptized, indicating that members of the VANHOUTEN family had already settled in the Dutch colonial territory of New Netherland by that time.

In the 17th century, a prominent figure named Pieter VANHOUTEN (1625-1691) lived in Leiden, Netherlands. He was a successful merchant and served as a member of the city council. His descendants would go on to establish themselves in various parts of Europe and North America.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the VANHOUTEN surname in America can be found in the records of the Dutch Reformed Church of New Amsterdam in 1655. Here, a marriage is recorded between Adriaen VANHOUTEN and Marritje Hendricks.

Other notable individuals throughout history who bore the VANHOUTEN surname include:

1. Hendrick VANHOUTEN (1638-1711), one of the earliest settlers of what is now Bergen County, New Jersey.
2. Garret VANHOUTEN (1720-1792), a member of the New Jersey Provincial Congress during the American Revolutionary War.
3. John VANHOUTEN (1768-1841), a prominent landowner and farmer in New Jersey who served as a judge and member of the state legislature.
4. Cornelius VANHOUTEN (1801-1879), a successful businessman and real estate developer in New York City.
5. Henry VANHOUTEN (1833-1917), a Union Army officer during the American Civil War who later became a respected lawyer and judge in Ohio.

While the VANHOUTEN surname is relatively uncommon today, its rich history spans centuries and continents, with its roots firmly planted in the Netherlands and the early Dutch settlements of North America.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name VanHouten

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

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

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

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