2000
#9,856
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,025
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.12
Rare Last name
Vankirk
Dutch toponymic surname referring to someone who lived near a church or originated from a place called Vankirk.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,437 Americans carry the last name Vankirk. That puts it at #10,231 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.00 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 99,725 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Vankirk 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
3.4K
1 in 99,725
Census rank
#10,231
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,997 bearers of the surname Vankirk in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.00 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10231st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Vankirk, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.9%) and Two or More Races (2.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Vankirk
The surname VANKIRK has its origins in the Netherlands, dating back to the 16th century. It is derived from the Dutch words "van" meaning "from" and "kerk" meaning "church," suggesting that the name may have referred to someone who lived near a church or worked in a church-related occupation.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the VANKIRK surname can be found in the Dutch Reformed Church records from the town of Leiden in the 1600s. The name appears to have been particularly prominent in the provinces of Holland and Utrecht during this time period.
In the 17th century, the VANKIRK surname began to spread beyond the Netherlands as Dutch settlers migrated to other parts of Europe and the Americas. One notable early bearer of the name was Pieter VANKIRK (1630-1689), a Dutch merchant who established a trading post in what is now New York City.
As the name traveled across the Atlantic, it evolved into various spelling variations, including VANKIRK, VAN KIRK, and VAN KERK. These different spellings can be found in historical records from the colonial era in the United States.
One notable American bearer of the VANKIRK surname was James VANKIRK (1733-1810), a Revolutionary War soldier from Pennsylvania. Another was John VANKIRK (1775-1845), a prominent businessman and landowner in Ohio in the early 19th century.
In the United Kingdom, the VANKIRK name can be traced back to the late 18th century, when Dutch immigrants brought the surname to England and Scotland. One early British bearer was William VANKIRK (1792-1868), a Scottish architect who designed several notable buildings in Glasgow.
Other notable individuals with the VANKIRK surname throughout history include:
1. Evert VANKIRK (1662-1734), a Dutch colonist and landowner in New Amsterdam (now New York City).
2. Hendrick VANKIRK (1710-1778), a Dutch-American farmer and militia captain during the French and Indian War.
3. Robert VANKIRK (1813-1891), an American politician and judge in Illinois.
4. Alice VANKIRK (1857-1932), an American artist and writer known for her landscapes and children's books.
5. Maurice VANKIRK (1885-1967), a Dutch-American architect who designed several notable buildings in New York City.
While the VANKIRK surname has its roots in the Netherlands, it has since become a global name, with bearers found in various countries around the world. The name's connection to the Dutch words "van" and "kerk" has helped preserve its unique identity and rich history over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Vankirk
Among Census respondents with the surname Vankirk, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.9%) and Two or More Races (2.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Vankirk 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 Vankirk surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.3% · 2,767
- Hispanic or Latino2.9% · 88
- Two or more races2.9% · 86
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 22
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 19
- Black or African American0.5% · 15
Timeline
Historical Census data for Vankirk
Vankirk 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
#10,462
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,073
+48 bearers (+1.6%)
Per 100,000 1.04
Rank movement Down 606 places
2020
#10,231
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,997
-76 bearers (-2.5%)
Per 100,000 1.00
Rank movement Up 231 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,856 | 3,025 | 1.12 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,462 | 3,073 | 1.04 | +48 bearers (+1.6%) | Down 606 places |
| 2020 | #10,231 | 2,997 | 1.00 | -76 bearers (-2.5%) | Up 231 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 Vankirk 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 | #10,462 | #10,231 | 2.2% |
| Count | 3,073 | 2,997 | -2.5% |
| Per 100K | 1.04 | 1.00 | -3.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Vankirk bearers went from 3,073 to 2,997 (-2.5% change). The surname moved up 231 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,462 to #10,231.
FAQ
Vankirk surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Vankirk?
Name Census estimates that about 3,437 living Americans carry the surname Vankirk. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 99,725 residents.
How common is Vankirk?
Vankirk ranks #10,231 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.00 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,997 people with the surname Vankirk. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,437), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.00 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Vankirk.
Has Vankirk become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Vankirk went from 3,073 recorded bearers to 2,997. That is a decrease of 76 (-2.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #10,462 to #10,231.
What does the Census say about the background of Vankirk?
Among Census respondents with the surname Vankirk, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.9%) and Two or More Races (2.9%). 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 Vankirk in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.3% (2,767 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Vankirk appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.3%), Hispanic (2.9%), Two or More Races (2.9%). 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 Vankirk (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 Vankirk mean?
Dutch toponymic surname referring to someone who lived near a church or originated from a place called Vankirk. 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 Vankirk (1.00 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 many Americans have the surname Vankirk?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.