2000
#120,330
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 133
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Vansteenkiste
A surname originating from the Dutch meaning "from the stone chest".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 178 Americans carry the last name Vansteenkiste. That puts it at #118,445 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.05 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,925,586 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Vansteenkiste 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
178
1 in 1,925,586
Census rank
#118,445
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
155
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 155 bearers of the surname Vansteenkiste in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.05 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 118445th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Vansteenkiste, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.9%) and Two or More Races (3.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Vansteenkiste
The surname Vansteenkiste originated in Flanders, the northern region of modern-day Belgium, during the Middle Ages. It is a combination of the Dutch words "van" (meaning "from") and "steenkiste" (meaning "stone chest" or "sarcophagus"). The name likely referred to someone living near a prominent stone sarcophagus or cemetery.
One of the earliest known records of the name dates back to the 14th century, when a Gillis Vansteenkiste was mentioned in a land registry document from the town of Ghent in 1348. Similar spellings from this era include Vander Steenkiste and Vande Steenkiste.
During the 16th century, the Vansteenkiste name appeared in several church records from parishes in and around the city of Bruges. A notable example is Jacop Vansteenkiste, a merchant born in 1521, who was involved in the local textile trade.
In the 17th century, the name spread to other parts of Flanders and the Low Countries. Johan Vansteenkiste (1634-1692) was a skilled silversmith from Antwerp whose works can be found in museums across Europe.
As the Vansteenkiste family prospered, some members adopted the French spelling of the name, Vanstenquisse. Marie Vanstenquisse (1755-1828) was a respected painter from Brussels whose portrait works were highly sought after by the nobility.
Another notable figure was Pieter Vansteenkiste (1818-1905), a pioneering Belgian civil engineer who oversaw the construction of several major railways and bridges in the late 19th century.
While the name Vansteenkiste is primarily concentrated in Belgium and the Netherlands, it has also spread to other parts of the world through migration. However, older historical records and references remain focused in the regions of its Flemish origins.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Vansteenkiste
Among Census respondents with the surname Vansteenkiste, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.9%) and Two or More Races (3.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Vansteenkiste 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 Vansteenkiste surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.6% · 142
- Hispanic or Latino3.9% · 6
- Two or more races3.2% · 5
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Vansteenkiste
Vansteenkiste 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
#125,282
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 137
+4 bearers (+3.0%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Down 4,952 places
2020
#118,445
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 155
+18 bearers (+13.1%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Up 6,837 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #120,330 | 133 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #125,282 | 137 | 0.05 | +4 bearers (+3.0%) | Down 4,952 places |
| 2020 | #118,445 | 155 | 0.05 | +18 bearers (+13.1%) | Up 6,837 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 Vansteenkiste 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 | #125,282 | #118,445 | 5.5% |
| Count | 137 | 155 | 13.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.05 | 3.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Vansteenkiste bearers went from 137 to 155 (+13.1% change). The surname moved up 6,837 positions in the national ranking, going from #125,282 to #118,445.
FAQ
Vansteenkiste surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Vansteenkiste?
Name Census estimates that about 178 living Americans carry the surname Vansteenkiste. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,925,586 residents.
How common is Vansteenkiste?
Vansteenkiste ranks #118,445 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.05 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 155 people with the surname Vansteenkiste. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (178), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.05 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.05 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 Vansteenkiste.
Has Vansteenkiste become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Vansteenkiste went from 137 recorded bearers to 155. That is an increase of 18 (+13.1%). In the national ranking it rose from #125,282 to #118,445.
What does the Census say about the background of Vansteenkiste?
Among Census respondents with the surname Vansteenkiste, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.9%) and Two or More Races (3.2%). 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 Vansteenkiste in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.6% (142 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Vansteenkiste appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.6%), Hispanic (3.9%), Two or More Races (3.2%). 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 Vansteenkiste (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 Vansteenkiste mean?
A surname originating from the Dutch meaning "from the stone chest". 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 Vansteenkiste (0.05 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 have the surname Vansteenkiste?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.