2000
#117,538
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 137
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Vanvorce
A surname potentially derived from the Dutch phrase "van vorce" meaning "from the fork" or "from the intersection".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 136 Americans carry the last name Vanvorce. 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 Vanvorce 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 Vanvorce 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 Vanvorce, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.9%) and Hispanic (3.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Vanvorce
The surname VANVORCE has its origins in the Netherlands, specifically in the regions of Holland and Zeeland. It is believed to have emerged in the late 16th or early 17th century. The name is derived from the Dutch words "van" meaning "from" and "vorce" or "vorse," which is an archaic term referring to a small stream or brook.
The earliest known record of the VANVORCE surname dates back to 1618, when a Johannes Vanvorce was mentioned in a local census record from the village of Middelburg, located in the province of Zeeland. Over the following centuries, variations in spelling were common, with the name appearing as Vanvorse, Van Vorce, and Van Vors in various documents.
In the late 17th century, a notable figure named Pieter Vanvorce (1652-1721) was a prominent merchant and trader in the city of Amsterdam. He was involved in the lucrative Dutch East Indies trade and amassed considerable wealth during his lifetime.
Another notable individual with this surname was Jacobus Vanvorce (1712-1789), a renowned painter from the city of Delft. He was known for his intricate still-life paintings and was a member of the prestigious Delft Guild of St. Luke.
During the 18th century, the VANVORCE name spread beyond the Netherlands as some members of the family migrated to other parts of Europe and even to the Americas. One such individual was Willem Vanvorce (1725-1801), who settled in the Dutch colony of Suriname in South America and established a successful plantation there.
In the 19th century, a notable American bearing the VANVORCE surname was Robert Vanvorce (1823-1889), a Union Army officer during the American Civil War. He fought in several key battles, including the Battle of Gettysburg, and was awarded the Medal of Honor for his bravery.
Another significant figure was August Vanvorce (1841-1916), a German-born architect who immigrated to the United States in the late 19th century. He was responsible for designing several notable buildings in the city of Chicago, including the historic Auditorium Building.
While the VANVORCE surname may not be as common today as it once was, it has a rich history deeply rooted in the Netherlands and the lives of notable individuals across various fields and eras.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Vanvorce
Among Census respondents with the surname Vanvorce, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.9%) and Hispanic (3.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Vanvorce 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 Vanvorce surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.1% · 106
- Two or more races5.9% · 7
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 4
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Vanvorce
Vanvorce 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
-13 bearers (-9.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 18,055 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 | #117,538 | 137 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #135,593 | 124 | 0.04 | -13 bearers (-9.5%) | Down 18,055 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 Vanvorce 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 Vanvorce 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
Vanvorce surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Vanvorce?
Name Census estimates that about 136 living Americans carry the surname Vanvorce. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,520,252 residents.
How common is Vanvorce?
Vanvorce 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 Vanvorce. 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 Vanvorce.
Has Vanvorce become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Vanvorce 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 Vanvorce?
Among Census respondents with the surname Vanvorce, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.9%) and Hispanic (3.4%). 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 Vanvorce in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.1% (106 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Vanvorce appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.1%), Two or More Races (5.9%), Hispanic (3.4%). 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 Vanvorce (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 Vanvorce mean?
A surname potentially derived from the Dutch phrase "van vorce" meaning "from the fork" or "from the intersection". 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 Vanvorce (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 have the surname Vanvorce?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.