2000
#57,090
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 334
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.12
Very Rare Last name
Vankempen
A surname of Dutch origin meaning "from Kempen", referring to someone from the region of Kempen.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 414 Americans carry the last name Vankempen. That puts it at #60,295 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.12 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 827,909 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Vankempen 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
414
1 in 827,909
Census rank
#60,295
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
361
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 361 bearers of the surname Vankempen in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.12 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 60295th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Vankempen, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Vankempen
The surname VANKEMPEN originated in the Netherlands during the medieval period. It is a locational surname derived from the Dutch words "van" meaning "from" and "Kempen" referring to the Campine region in the northern provinces of Belgium and the southeastern part of the Netherlands.
The earliest recorded instances of the name can be traced back to the 13th century, with variations such as Van Kempen, Van de Kempen, and Vanden Kempen appearing in historical records from the Dutch provinces of North Brabant and Limburg. These spellings suggest that the name was initially associated with individuals who hailed from or resided in the Kempen area.
One of the earliest known bearers of the VANKEMPEN surname was Hendrik Van Kempen, a prominent merchant and alderman in the city of Hertogenbosch in the late 14th century. Historical records from the city archives mention his involvement in local government affairs and trade activities during the reign of Duchess Johanna of Brabant (1322-1406).
In the 15th century, the VANKEMPEN name gained recognition through the works of Thomas a Kempis (1380-1471), a renowned Augustinian monk and writer from the town of Kempen in North Brabant. His influential spiritual treatise, "The Imitation of Christ," is considered one of the most widely read Christian devotional works of all time.
Another noteworthy figure with the VANKEMPEN surname was Pieter van Kempen (1505-1559), a Dutch Renaissance painter and stained-glass artist. His works adorned various churches and public buildings in the Low Countries, showcasing his skill in portraiture and religious scenes.
During the 16th century, the VANKEMPEN name appeared in records related to the Dutch Revolt against Spanish rule. Jan van Kempen (1542-1607) was a prominent military commander who fought alongside William the Silent, the leader of the Dutch resistance against the Spanish Empire.
In the 18th century, Jacobus van Kempen (1713-1787) was a renowned Dutch botanist and author who made significant contributions to the study of plant taxonomy and the classification of plants native to the Netherlands and its colonies.
As the VANKEMPEN surname spread beyond the Netherlands, it took on various spellings and variations, reflecting the linguistic and cultural influences of different regions. However, its roots can be traced back to the Kempen region of the Low Countries and the rich history associated with this locational surname.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Vankempen
Among Census respondents with the surname Vankempen, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Vankempen 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 Vankempen surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.6% · 327
- Two or more races3.6% · 13
- Asian and Pacific Islander3.0% · 11
- Hispanic or Latino2.2% · 8
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Vankempen
Vankempen 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
#56,836
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 359
+25 bearers (+7.5%)
Per 100,000 0.12
Rank movement Up 254 places
2020
#60,295
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 361
+2 bearers (+0.6%)
Per 100,000 0.12
Rank movement Down 3,459 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #57,090 | 334 | 0.12 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #56,836 | 359 | 0.12 | +25 bearers (+7.5%) | Up 254 places |
| 2020 | #60,295 | 361 | 0.12 | +2 bearers (+0.6%) | Down 3,459 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 Vankempen 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 | #56,836 | #60,295 | -6.1% |
| Count | 359 | 361 | 0.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.12 | 0.12 | 0.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Vankempen bearers went from 359 to 361 (+0.6% change). The surname moved down 3,459 positions in the national ranking, going from #56,836 to #60,295.
FAQ
Vankempen surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Vankempen?
Name Census estimates that about 414 living Americans carry the surname Vankempen. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 827,909 residents.
How common is Vankempen?
Vankempen ranks #60,295 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.12 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 361 people with the surname Vankempen. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (414), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.12 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.12 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 Vankempen.
Has Vankempen become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Vankempen went from 359 recorded bearers to 361. That is an increase of 2 (+0.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #56,836 to #60,295.
What does the Census say about the background of Vankempen?
Among Census respondents with the surname Vankempen, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.0%). 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 Vankempen in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.6% (327 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Vankempen appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.6%), Two or More Races (3.6%), Asian/Pacific Islander (3.0%). 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 Vankempen (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 Vankempen mean?
A surname of Dutch origin meaning "from Kempen", referring to someone from the region of Kempen. 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 Vankempen (0.12 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 Vankempen?
You can see how many people have the surname Vankempen on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.