2000
#132,259
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Vanstaveren
A Dutch surname indicating a geographic origin from the town of Staveren.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 136 Americans carry the last name Vanstaveren. That puts it at #142,788 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,520,252 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Vanstaveren surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
136
1 in 2,520,252
Census rank
#142,788
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
119
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 119 bearers of the surname Vanstaveren in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142788th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Vanstaveren, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Vanstaveren
The surname VANSTAVEREN is of Dutch origin, originating in the Netherlands during the medieval period. It is believed to be derived from the Dutch place name "Staveren," which is located in the province of Friesland. The prefix "van" in the name indicates that the bearer was from or had a connection to the town of Staveren.
Staveren was an important trading port and center of commerce in the Middle Ages, situated along the Zuiderzee (now the IJsselmeer). The name Staveren itself is thought to stem from the Old Frisian word "staf," meaning "staff" or "staff of office," possibly referring to the town's role as a seat of authority or governance.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the VANSTAVEREN surname can be found in the Oudfriesche Naamlijst, a historical document from the late 13th century that lists Frisian names and their meanings. This suggests that the name was already in use by that time, likely borne by individuals or families associated with the town of Staveren.
In the 15th century, a notable figure named Pieter VANSTAVEREN is documented as a merchant and member of the prestigious Hanseatic League, which dominated maritime trade in Northern Europe during the Middle Ages. Pieter's business dealings likely took him to various ports and cities across the region, potentially contributing to the spread of the surname.
During the Dutch Golden Age of the 17th century, a painter named Jan VANSTAVEREN was active in Amsterdam. Although little is known about his life, some of his works depicting Dutch landscapes and genre scenes can still be found in various museums and private collections.
Another historical figure bearing the VANSTAVEREN name was Cornelis VANSTAVEREN, a Dutch naval officer who served in the Dutch East Indies during the late 18th century. He is noted for his role in the defense of the Dutch colony against the British during the Napoleonic Wars.
In the 19th century, a prominent Dutch politician named Johan VANSTAVEREN held a seat in the Tweede Kamer (the lower house of the Dutch parliament) and was involved in debates surrounding the abolition of slavery in the Dutch colonies.
While the VANSTAVEREN surname is not as widespread as some other Dutch names, it continues to be most prevalent in the Netherlands, particularly in the northern regions where the town of Staveren is located. The name's enduring legacy serves as a connection to the rich maritime and commercial history of the Netherlands during the Middle Ages and beyond.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Vanstaveren
Among Census respondents with the surname Vanstaveren, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Vanstaveren bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Vanstaveren surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.2% · 105
- Hispanic or Latino7.6% · 9
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.5% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 1
- Two or more races0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Vanstaveren
Vanstaveren appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#135,593
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 124
+6 bearers (+5.1%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 3,334 places
2020
#142,788
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
-5 bearers (-4.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 7,195 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #132,259 | 118 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #135,593 | 124 | 0.04 | +6 bearers (+5.1%) | Down 3,334 places |
| 2020 | #142,788 | 119 | 0.04 | -5 bearers (-4.0%) | Down 7,195 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Vanstaveren surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #135,593 | #142,788 | -5.3% |
| Count | 124 | 119 | -4.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -0.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Vanstaveren bearers went from 124 to 119 (-4.0% change). The surname moved down 7,195 positions in the national ranking, going from #135,593 to #142,788.
FAQ
Vanstaveren surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Vanstaveren?
Name Census estimates that about 136 living Americans carry the surname Vanstaveren. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,520,252 residents.
How common is Vanstaveren?
Vanstaveren ranks #142,788 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 119 people with the surname Vanstaveren. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (136), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Vanstaveren.
Has Vanstaveren become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Vanstaveren went from 124 recorded bearers to 119. That is a decrease of 5 (-4.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #135,593 to #142,788.
What does the Census say about the background of Vanstaveren?
Among Census respondents with the surname Vanstaveren, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.5%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Vanstaveren in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.2% (105 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Vanstaveren appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.2%), Hispanic (7.6%), Asian/Pacific Islander (2.5%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Vanstaveren (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Vanstaveren mean?
A Dutch surname indicating a geographic origin from the town of Staveren. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Vanstaveren (0.04 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people are called Vanstaveren?
If you just want to know how many people are called Vanstaveren, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.