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

Vanstone, 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 Vanstone surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Vanstone in America

Vanstone is the 37735th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Vanstone surname appeared 589 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 Vanstone.

We can also compare 2010 data for Vanstone 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 Vanstone

The surname Vanstone is of Anglo-Saxon origin, deriving from the Old English words "fenn" meaning marshy ground, and "tun" meaning an enclosure or settlement. It is believed to have originated in the area of Somerset, England during the medieval period.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1195, where it appears as "de Fenneton". This suggests that the name was initially a locational surname, referring to someone who lived near a marshland or fen.

Another early reference to the name is found in the Feet of Fines for Essex in 1285, where it is spelled "Fenyston". This variation likely arose due to the interchangeability of the letters "v" and "f" in early English orthography.

In the 13th century, the name appears in various forms, such as "de Veneston" and "de Feniton", reflecting the regional dialects and scribal variations common in that era.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname was John de Fenyton, who was listed in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1327.

During the 16th century, the spelling gradually evolved to the modern form of "Vanstone". A notable bearer of the name from this period was William Vanstone (c. 1520-1585), a merchant and alderman of the City of London.

In the 17th century, the Vanstone family was well-established in the county of Somerset, with several members holding positions of prominence. Thomas Vanstone (1605-1675) was a respected clergyman and rector of the parish of Compton Dundon.

Another notable figure was Sir John Vanstone (1638-1720), a wealthy landowner and Member of Parliament for the borough of Taunton.

In the 18th century, the Vanstone family continued to thrive, with several members achieving distinction in various fields. One such individual was Captain James Vanstone (1725-1798), a naval officer who served in the Royal Navy during the American Revolutionary War.

The 19th century saw the Vanstone name spread throughout the British Isles and beyond, as many members of the family emigrated to various parts of the British Empire. One notable example is Sir William Vanstone (1829-1901), a successful businessman and philanthropist who made significant contributions to the city of Melbourne, Australia.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Vanstone

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

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

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

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