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

VanValkenburgh, 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 VanValkenburgh surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of VanValkenburgh in America

VanValkenburgh is the 24914th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The VanValkenburgh surname appeared 998 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 VanValkenburgh.

We can also compare 2010 data for VanValkenburgh 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 VanValkenburgh

The surname VANVALKENBURGH has its origins in the Netherlands, first emerging in the 17th century. It is derived from the Dutch words "van" meaning "from" and "Valkenburgh" referring to the town of Valkenburg in the province of Limburg. This town's name is believed to come from the old Dutch words "valke" meaning "falcon" and "burg" meaning "fortress" or "castle", suggesting the name may have originally referred to a falcon's nest or a falconry estate.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Dutch Reformed Church records of New Amsterdam (modern-day New York City) in the late 1600s. This suggests that some of the earliest bearers of the VANVALKENBURGH name were among the Dutch settlers who colonized what is now the New York area.

In the 18th century, the name appears in various historical records from the colonial era of New York and New Jersey. For example, Jacobus VANVALKENBURGH (1722-1796) was a prominent landowner and political figure in Dutchess County, New York, serving as a member of the Provincial Congress during the American Revolution.

Another notable bearer of the name was Robert Bruce VANVALKENBURGH (1821-1888), a lawyer and diplomat from New York who served as the United States Minister to Japan from 1866 to 1871. He played a significant role in the early diplomatic relations between the United States and Japan during the Meiji Restoration period.

In the 19th century, the VANVALKENBURGH name can also be found in various military records from the American Civil War. One such individual was Henry VANVALKENBURGH (1838-1909), a Union Army officer who served in several major battles, including the Battle of Gettysburg, and later became a member of the New York State Assembly.

Another noteworthy VANVALKENBURGH was Edith VANVALKENBURGH (1874-1956), an American author and novelist who wrote several works of fiction, including the novel "The Husband" published in 1912.

While the VANVALKENBURGH surname originated in the Netherlands, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly in areas with significant Dutch immigration, such as the United States, Canada, and South Africa.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name VanValkenburgh

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

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

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

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