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

VanMetre, 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 VanMetre surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of VanMetre in America

VanMetre is the 37288th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The VanMetre surname appeared 598 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 VanMetre.

We can also compare 2010 data for VanMetre 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 VanMetre

The surname VANMETRE finds its origins in the Netherlands, where it is believed to have emerged during the late 16th century. It is thought to be derived from the Dutch phrase "van metre," which translates to "from the meter" or "from the measurer." This suggests that the name may have been initially associated with an individual who worked as a land surveyor or someone responsible for measuring and allocating land parcels.

One of the earliest known references to the name VANMETRE can be found in a Dutch census record from the city of Rotterdam, dated 1587. The record mentions a certain Pieter VANMETRE, who is listed as a landmeter (land surveyor). This provides valuable insight into the potential origins of the name and its connection to the occupation of land measurement.

As the Dutch emigrated to various parts of the world, the name VANMETRE began to spread. In the 17th century, several VANMETRE families are recorded as having settled in the Dutch colonies of South Africa and Indonesia (then known as the Dutch East Indies). These early settlers likely played a role in disseminating the name across different regions.

In the late 17th and early 18th centuries, the VANMETRE name also made its way to the American colonies, primarily through Dutch and German immigrants. One notable figure from this period was Johannes VANMETRE (1675-1743), who settled in Pennsylvania and became a prominent landowner and farmer. His descendants went on to establish themselves in various parts of the United States, including Virginia and the Midwest.

Another significant figure bearing the VANMETRE surname was Jacob VANMETRE (1768-1844), a soldier who fought in the American Revolutionary War. He was born in Virginia and later moved to Ohio, where he became a respected member of the local community and served as a justice of the peace.

In the 19th century, the VANMETRE name gained recognition in the field of education with the contributions of William H. VANMETRE (1819-1901), a renowned educator and author from Ohio. He served as the principal of several schools and wrote several influential textbooks on arithmetic and mathematics.

Other notable individuals with the VANMETRE surname include John C. VANMETRE (1808-1879), a lawyer and politician from Ohio who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives, and Albert R. VANMETRE (1859-1938), a businessman and philanthropist from West Virginia who founded the VANMETRE Foundation, which supported educational initiatives.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name VanMetre

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!