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

VanRoekel, 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 VanRoekel surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of VanRoekel in America

VanRoekel is the 24431st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The VanRoekel surname appeared 1,025 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 VanRoekel.

We can also compare 2010 data for VanRoekel 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 VanRoekel

The surname VANROEKEL has its origins in the Netherlands, dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to have derived from a combination of the Dutch words "van" meaning "from" and "roekel," which was an old Dutch word referring to a small village or hamlet. This suggests that the name may have initially been used to identify someone who hailed from a particular small settlement.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the VANROEKEL name can be found in the Dutch city of Utrecht, where a certain Pieter VANROEKEL is mentioned in a municipal record from the year 1587. Another early reference comes from the town of Delft, where a merchant named Hendrik VANROEKEL is listed in a trade registry from 1612.

In the 17th century, the VANROEKEL name appears to have spread to other parts of the Netherlands, as well as to neighboring regions such as Flanders. A notable individual from this period was Jan VANROEKEL, a renowned painter born in Amsterdam in 1632, who was renowned for his landscapes and still-life works.

As the Dutch began to establish colonies and trading posts around the world, the VANROEKEL name also traveled to other continents. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name in North America comes from a passenger list of the ship De Bever, which arrived in New Amsterdam (present-day New York) in 1661, carrying a passenger named Gerrit VANROEKEL.

Another notable figure was Willem VANROEKEL, a Dutch military commander who served in the Dutch East Indies (present-day Indonesia) during the late 17th century. He was involved in several campaigns against local rulers and played a key role in the expansion of Dutch colonial power in the region.

In the 18th century, the VANROEKEL name can be found in various parts of Europe, including Germany, where a family by the name of VANROEKEL settled in the region of Rhineland-Palatinate. One member of this family, Johann VANROEKEL (1742-1823), was a respected scholar and author who wrote several works on theology and philosophy.

As the VANROEKEL name spread across different regions, it underwent various spelling variations, such as VANROEKEL, VANROECKEL, VANROKEL, and VANROEKELJ. However, the core elements of the name remained largely unchanged, reflecting its Dutch origins and association with small settlements or hamlets.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name VanRoekel

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

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

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

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