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

VanMatre, 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 VanMatre surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of VanMatre in America

VanMatre is the 21080th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The VanMatre surname appeared 1,246 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 VanMatre.

We can also compare 2010 data for VanMatre 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 VanMatre

The surname VANMATRE originated in the Netherlands during the late 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the Dutch words "van" meaning "from" and "mater" meaning "mother", suggesting a possible connection to a place name or referring to someone's maternal lineage.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the VANMATRE name can be found in the Dutch Reformed Church records of Leiden, where a certain Hendrick Vanmatre was born in 1602. The name also appears in various Dutch legal documents and municipal records from the 17th and 18th centuries, often with variations in spelling such as Van Mater, Van Matre, or Van Metre.

As Dutch immigrants began to settle in North America in the 17th and 18th centuries, the VANMATRE surname made its way across the Atlantic. Some notable early bearers of the name include Pieter Vanmatre, who arrived in New Netherland (present-day New York) in 1658, and Jan Vanmatre, who settled in Pennsylvania in 1683.

In the United States, the VANMATRE family can trace their roots back to Jacob Vanmatre, who was born in New Jersey in 1735. His descendants went on to settle in various parts of the country, including Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois.

Throughout history, several individuals with the VANMATRE surname have achieved notable accomplishments. One such individual was John P. Vanmatre (1807-1868), a prominent lawyer and politician from Illinois who served as a judge and a member of the Illinois General Assembly.

Another notable figure was William H. Vanmatre (1836-1919), a Union Army officer during the American Civil War who later became a successful businessman and philanthropist in Indiana.

In the field of literature, Alice Vanmatre (1858-1938) was an American author and poet who published several works, including a collection of poems titled "Wanderings" in 1898.

The VANMATRE name also has a connection to higher education, with John P. Vanmatre (1867-1931) serving as the president of the University of Idaho from 1920 to 1927.

Lastly, one cannot overlook the contributions of Clarence Vanmatre (1892-1968), a pioneering aviator and aircraft designer who played a significant role in the development of early American aviation.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name VanMatre

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

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

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

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