2000
#141,788
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Vankouwenberg
A Dutch surname referring to someone from the town of Kouwenberg.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 124 Americans carry the last name Vankouwenberg. That puts it at #150,935 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,764,148 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Vankouwenberg 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
124
1 in 2,764,148
Census rank
#150,935
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
108
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 108 bearers of the surname Vankouwenberg in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150935th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Vankouwenberg, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.6%) and Two or More Races (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Vankouwenberg
The surname VANKOUWENBERG is of Dutch origin and can be traced back to the late 16th century. It is a locational surname derived from the town of Kouwenberg, located in the province of Gelderland, Netherlands. The prefix "van" signifies "from" or "of," indicating that the original bearer of the name hailed from this town.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the VANKOUWENBERG surname can be found in the Dutch Reformed Church records from the town of Zaltbommel, dated 1598. The entry mentions a certain Dirck Janssen VANKOUWENBERG who was a merchant and landowner in the area.
In the 17th century, the VANKOUWENBERG family appears to have spread to other parts of the Netherlands, as evidenced by the birth records of a Johannes VANKOUWENBERG in Amsterdam in 1632. This Johannes VANKOUWENBERG later became a prominent figure in the Dutch East India Company and was involved in the spice trade.
During the 18th century, the VANKOUWENBERG surname gained further prominence with the birth of Willem VANKOUWENBERG (1712-1784), a renowned Dutch painter known for his landscape and seascape paintings. His works can be found in various museums across Europe, including the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam.
Another notable bearer of the VANKOUWENBERG name was Jan VANKOUWENBERG (1768-1837), a Dutch military officer who served in the Napoleonic Wars. He rose to the rank of Major-General and was awarded the Legion of Honor for his bravery and leadership on the battlefield.
In the 19th century, the VANKOUWENBERG surname appeared in the Netherlands East Indies (present-day Indonesia) with the birth of Pieter VANKOUWENBERG (1823-1899), a Dutch colonial administrator and educator. He played a significant role in the establishment of the Dutch education system in the East Indies and was instrumental in promoting literacy among the local population.
As the VANKOUWENBERG family continued to spread across the globe, they left their mark in various fields. One such individual was Hendrik VANKOUWENBERG (1892-1968), a South African politician and lawyer who served as a member of the House of Assembly for the United Party from 1938 to 1953.
The surname VANKOUWENBERG has a rich history that spans several centuries and continents. While its origins can be traced back to a small town in the Netherlands, the name has become associated with individuals from diverse backgrounds and professions, each contributing to the cultural tapestry of their respective communities.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Vankouwenberg
Among Census respondents with the surname Vankouwenberg, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.6%) and Two or More Races (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Vankouwenberg 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 Vankouwenberg surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.5% · 101
- Hispanic or Latino5.6% · 6
- Two or more races0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Vankouwenberg
Vankouwenberg 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
#150,452
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
+1 bearers (+0.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 8,664 places
2020
#150,935
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
-1 bearers (-0.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 483 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #141,788 | 108 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #150,452 | 109 | 0.04 | +1 bearers (+0.9%) | Down 8,664 places |
| 2020 | #150,935 | 108 | 0.04 | -1 bearers (-0.9%) | Down 483 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 Vankouwenberg 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 | #150,452 | #150,935 | -0.3% |
| Count | 109 | 108 | -0.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -9.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Vankouwenberg bearers went from 109 to 108 (-0.9% change). The surname moved down 483 positions in the national ranking, going from #150,452 to #150,935.
FAQ
Vankouwenberg surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Vankouwenberg?
Name Census estimates that about 124 living Americans carry the surname Vankouwenberg. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,764,148 residents.
How common is Vankouwenberg?
Vankouwenberg ranks #150,935 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 108 people with the surname Vankouwenberg. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (124), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Vankouwenberg.
Has Vankouwenberg become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Vankouwenberg went from 109 recorded bearers to 108. That is a decrease of 1 (-0.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #150,452 to #150,935.
What does the Census say about the background of Vankouwenberg?
Among Census respondents with the surname Vankouwenberg, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.6%) and Two or More Races (0.9%). 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 Vankouwenberg in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.5% (101 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Vankouwenberg appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.5%), Hispanic (5.6%), Two or More Races (0.9%). 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 Vankouwenberg (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 Vankouwenberg mean?
A Dutch surname referring to someone from the town of Kouwenberg. 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 Vankouwenberg (0.04 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 people share the surname Vankouwenberg?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.