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

Vanness, 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 Vanness surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Vanness in America

Vanness is the 7736th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Vanness surname appeared 4,291 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Vanness.

We can also compare 2010 data for Vanness 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 Vanness

The surname VANNESS is of Dutch origin, tracing its roots back to the Netherlands in the 16th century. It is derived from the Dutch words "van" meaning "from" and "nes" meaning a promontory or headland. The name likely referred to someone who lived near a promontory or headland.

One of the earliest recorded examples of this surname can be found in the Dutch province of Friesland, where it appeared as "Van Nesse" in the 16th century. It is also believed to have been influenced by the place name "Nes" in the Netherlands.

In the 17th century, the spelling "VANNESS" became more prevalent as Dutch settlers emigrated to the New World, particularly to the Dutch colony of New Netherland (later New York). The name can be found in various historical records and documents from this period, such as land deeds and census records.

Notable individuals with the surname VANNESS include:

1. Peter VANNESS (1647-1720), a Dutch settler in New Netherland who became a prominent landowner and politician in what is now Brooklyn, New York.

2. Cornelius P. VANNESS (1782-1852), an American lawyer and politician who served as the 10th Governor of Vermont from 1823 to 1826.

3. William VANNESS (1818-1899), an American politician and lawyer who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from New York from 1861 to 1863.

4. Marinus VANNESS (1786-1862), a Dutch-American politician who served as a member of the New York State Assembly and as a judge in New York.

5. Garrett J. VANNESS (1826-1903), an American businessman and politician who served as the Mayor of Milwaukee, Wisconsin from 1887 to 1888.

The surname VANNESS has been carried by many individuals throughout history, with its origins rooted in the Netherlands and its spread facilitated by Dutch immigration to the Americas in the 17th and 18th centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Vanness

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

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

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

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