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

Vanselow, 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 Vanselow surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Vanselow in America

Vanselow is the 51176th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Vanselow surname appeared 407 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 Vanselow.

We can also compare 2010 data for Vanselow 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 Vanselow

The surname VANSELOW is of German origin, tracing its roots back to the late Middle Ages. It is believed to have originated in the northern regions of Germany, particularly in the areas around modern-day Mecklenburg and Brandenburg.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name can be found in the Mecklenburg town records from the late 15th century, where a certain Johann Vanselow is listed as a landowner. The name is thought to be derived from a combination of the Low German words "van" (from) and "selo" (dwelling or settlement), suggesting its initial bearers were inhabitants of a specific settlement or location.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the VANSELOW name spread across various regions of northern Germany, with several notable individuals bearing this surname. One such figure was Hans Vanselow, a merchant and trader from Rostock who lived in the early 1600s and played a role in establishing trade routes along the Baltic Sea.

In the 18th century, the VANSELOW name gained further prominence with the birth of Johann Gottlieb Vanselow (1728-1808), a renowned German theologian and philosopher who wrote extensively on religious and moral topics. His works had a significant influence on the intellectual discourse of the time.

Another noteworthy bearer of the VANSELOW surname was Friedrich Vanselow (1811-1888), a German architect and urban planner who left his mark on the architectural landscape of Berlin. He was responsible for designing several prominent buildings, including the Neue Kirche (New Church) in Berlin's Gendarmenmarkt square.

As the VANSELOW family continued to expand and migrate, the name found its way into various parts of Europe and beyond. One such example is Johann Carl Vanselow (1854-1932), a German-born American businessman and entrepreneur who founded the Vanselow Furniture Company in Chicago, which became a successful enterprise in the early 20th century.

Throughout its long history, the VANSELOW surname has been associated with individuals from diverse fields, including academia, arts, business, and theology. While the name may have evolved slightly in its spelling over the centuries, its origins can be traced back to the northern German regions and the settlements from which its earliest bearers hailed.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Vanselow

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

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

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

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