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

VanLoon, 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 VanLoon surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of VanLoon in America

VanLoon is the 23065th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The VanLoon surname appeared 1,108 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 VanLoon.

We can also compare 2010 data for VanLoon 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 VanLoon

The surname VANLOON has its origins in the Netherlands. Derived from the Dutch words "van" meaning "from" and "loon" meaning "a low-lying meadow," it was originally a locational name referring to someone who lived near or in a low-lying meadow area.

The name can be traced back to the 13th century, with one of the earliest recorded instances being a mention of a "Johannes van Loon" in a charter from the year 1275 in the Dutch province of Gelderland. This suggests the name was initially concentrated in this region of the Netherlands.

By the 14th century, variations of the spelling such as "van Loene" and "van Loone" began appearing in historical records across different parts of the Low Countries (present-day Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg). The variations likely arose due to regional dialects and the lack of standardized spelling at the time.

One notable early bearer of the name was Jan van Loon, a Dutch artist born in Utrecht around 1420. His paintings, primarily depicting religious subjects, can be found in several museums across Europe.

In the 16th century, the VANLOON name gained prominence in the southern Dutch provinces, particularly in the region of Brabant. Records from this period mention various members of the VANLOON family serving as local officials and landowners.

During the 17th and 18th centuries, the name continued to spread across the Netherlands and into neighboring regions. One noteworthy figure was Gerard van Loon, a Dutch historian and author born in 1683 in Leiden. His works, including "Beschryving der Nederlandsche Historipenningen" (Description of Dutch Historical Medals), contributed significantly to the study of Dutch numismatics.

Another prominent bearer of the name was Theodoor van Loon, a Dutch architect born in 1629 in Utrecht. He is best known for his work on the design and construction of several churches and public buildings in Amsterdam, including the Portuguese Synagogue and the Westerkerk.

In the 19th century, the VANLOON name gained international recognition through the accomplishments of Hendrik van Loon, a Dutch-American writer and historian born in 1882 in Rotterdam. He won the first Newbery Medal in 1922 for his book "The Story of Mankind," which became a popular children's history book.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name VanLoon

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

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

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

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