2000
#121,058
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 132
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Vanvonderen
A Dutch surname derived from a place name meaning "from Vonderen".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 131 Americans carry the last name Vanvonderen. That puts it at #146,495 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,616,445 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Vanvonderen 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
131
1 in 2,616,445
Census rank
#146,495
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
114
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 114 bearers of the surname Vanvonderen in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 146495th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Vanvonderen, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.6%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Vanvonderen
The surname VANVONDEREN is of Dutch origin, originating in the Netherlands during the late medieval period. It is a locational surname, indicating that the original bearers of the name came from a specific place or region. The name is derived from the Dutch phrase "van Vonderen," which translates to "from Vonderen" or "of Vonderen."
Vonderen is a place name that likely refers to a small village, hamlet, or locality in the Netherlands. It is possible that the name is a combination of the Dutch words "von" meaning "from" and "deren" which could be a reference to a geographical feature such as a hill, valley, or forested area. The exact location and meaning of the place name Vonderen are uncertain, but it is clear that the surname VANVONDEREN originated from this location.
Early records of the VANVONDEREN surname can be found in various Dutch archives and documents dating back to the 16th and 17th centuries. One notable example is the mention of a Pieter VANVONDEREN in the baptismal records of the Dutch Reformed Church in Amsterdam in 1612. Another early reference is the appearance of a Jan VANVONDEREN in the tax records of the city of Leiden in 1638.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the VANVONDEREN surname was Gerrit VANVONDEREN, who was born in the town of Delft in 1575. Gerrit was a prominent merchant and trader, dealing in various goods including textiles and spices. Another notable figure was Maria VANVONDEREN (1624-1692), a renowned artist and painter known for her exquisite portraits and still-life compositions.
During the 17th and 18th centuries, several members of the VANVONDEREN family gained recognition in the field of academia and education. Jacobus VANVONDEREN (1678-1741) was a highly respected professor of philosophy at the University of Leiden, while his son, Willem VANVONDEREN (1712-1784), followed in his footsteps and became a renowned scholar of classical literature.
In the 19th century, a member of the VANVONDEREN family made a significant contribution to the field of engineering. Johannes VANVONDEREN (1827-1901) was a pioneering civil engineer who played a crucial role in the construction of several major bridges and infrastructural projects in the Netherlands during the industrial revolution.
Throughout its history, the VANVONDEREN surname has been associated with various professions and industries, including merchants, artists, academics, and engineers. While its exact origins and meaning may be obscured by time, the name serves as a reminder of the rich cultural heritage and diverse backgrounds that have contributed to the fabric of Dutch society.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Vanvonderen
Among Census respondents with the surname Vanvonderen, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.6%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Vanvonderen 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 Vanvonderen surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.7% · 108
- Two or more races2.6% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.8% · 2
- Hispanic or Latino0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Vanvonderen
Vanvonderen 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
#140,157
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
-13 bearers (-9.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 19,099 places
2020
#146,495
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
-5 bearers (-4.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 6,338 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #121,058 | 132 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #140,157 | 119 | 0.04 | -13 bearers (-9.8%) | Down 19,099 places |
| 2020 | #146,495 | 114 | 0.04 | -5 bearers (-4.2%) | Down 6,338 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 Vanvonderen 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 | #140,157 | #146,495 | -4.5% |
| Count | 119 | 114 | -4.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -4.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Vanvonderen bearers went from 119 to 114 (-4.2% change). The surname moved down 6,338 positions in the national ranking, going from #140,157 to #146,495.
FAQ
Vanvonderen surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Vanvonderen?
Name Census estimates that about 131 living Americans carry the surname Vanvonderen. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,616,445 residents.
How common is Vanvonderen?
Vanvonderen ranks #146,495 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 114 people with the surname Vanvonderen. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (131), 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 Vanvonderen.
Has Vanvonderen become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Vanvonderen went from 119 recorded bearers to 114. That is a decrease of 5 (-4.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #140,157 to #146,495.
What does the Census say about the background of Vanvonderen?
Among Census respondents with the surname Vanvonderen, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.6%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.8%). 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 Vanvonderen in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.7% (108 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Vanvonderen appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.7%), Two or More Races (2.6%), American Indian/Alaska Native (1.8%). 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 Vanvonderen (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 Vanvonderen mean?
A Dutch surname derived from a place name meaning "from Vonderen". 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 Vanvonderen (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 Americans have the surname Vanvonderen?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.