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

Vanleer, 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 Vanleer surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Vanleer in America

Vanleer is the 25152nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Vanleer surname appeared 986 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 Vanleer.

We can also compare 2010 data for Vanleer 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 Vanleer

The surname VANLEER has its origins in the Netherlands, with records dating back to the 17th century. It is believed to have derived from the Dutch word "leer," meaning "leather," and likely referred to an occupation or trade related to leather-working. The prefix "van" in Dutch surnames often indicated a person's place of origin or residence.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the VANLEER surname can be found in the Dutch Reformed Church records of New Amsterdam (present-day New York City) in the late 1600s. This suggests that the VANLEER family may have been among the early Dutch settlers in the New Netherland colony.

In the 18th century, the VANLEER surname appeared in various parts of the American colonies, particularly in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Notable individuals from this period include Johannes VANLEER, a Dutch immigrant to Pennsylvania in the early 1700s, and Abraham VANLEER, who served in the Revolutionary War.

As the VANLEER family spread across the United States in the 19th century, some variations in spelling emerged, such as VANLEER and VAN LEER. One prominent figure was Isaac VANLEER (1772-1836), a U.S. Representative from Pennsylvania who also served as a judge.

In the 20th century, the VANLEER surname gained recognition through the philanthropic efforts of the VanLeer family, who established the VanLeer Charitable Trust in the Netherlands. This trust supported various educational and cultural initiatives, including the Van Leer Jerusalem Institute.

Other notable individuals with the VANLEER surname include John VANLEER (1820-1884), a Union Army officer during the American Civil War, and Charles VANLEER (1876-1963), an American businessman and co-founder of the Eagle Pencil Company.

Throughout its history, the VANLEER surname has maintained a strong connection to its Dutch roots, while also becoming widely dispersed across various regions of the United States and beyond.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Vanleer

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

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

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

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