VanWert last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of VanWert

A locative surname originating from the Dutch town of Wert.

VanWert, 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 VanWert surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of VanWert in America

VanWert is the 28998th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The VanWert surname appeared 819 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 VanWert.

We can also compare 2010 data for VanWert 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.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 28998 28142 3.00%
Count 819 801 2.22%
Proportion per 100k 0.28 0.30 -6.90%

The history of the last name VanWert

The surname VANWERT has its origins in the Netherlands, dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to have originated from the Dutch words "van" meaning "from" and "wert" meaning "marsh" or "swamp." This suggests that the name was likely derived from a place name, indicating that the earliest bearers of this surname lived near or came from a marshy area.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the VANWERT surname can be found in the Dutch municipal records of the city of Amsterdam, where a merchant named Pieter VANWERT was mentioned in a document dated 1572. This suggests that the name was already well-established in the Netherlands by the late 16th century.

In the 17th century, the VANWERT surname began to appear in various Dutch colonies across the globe, indicating that some families bearing this name had emigrated from the Netherlands. For instance, a man named Hendrick VANWERT was recorded as a settler in the Dutch colony of New Netherland (present-day New York) in 1638.

As the Dutch settled in various parts of North America, the VANWERT surname underwent several spelling variations, including VANWERT, VANWERT, and VANWART. One notable bearer of this name was John VANWERT (1724-1811), a German-American soldier who fought in the American Revolutionary War and served as a guide for George Washington's army.

Another significant figure with the VANWERT surname was Jacob VANWERT (1778-1842), a Dutch-American businessman and politician who served as the 6th Governor of Ohio from 1822 to 1826. He was instrumental in the development of the state's infrastructure and the establishment of its educational system.

In the 19th century, the VANWERT surname was also found in Europe, particularly in Germany and the Netherlands. One notable German bearer of this name was Wilhelm VANWERT (1838-1912), a renowned architect who designed several landmark buildings in Berlin and other German cities.

In the Netherlands, the VANWERT surname remained prevalent, with several notable individuals bearing this name. One such individual was Cornelis VANWERT (1855-1932), a Dutch politician and lawyer who served as the Minister of Justice from 1913 to 1918.

As the VANWERT surname spread across different regions and cultures, it acquired various spellings and pronunciations. However, its roots can be traced back to the marshy regions of the Netherlands, where the earliest bearers of this name are believed to have resided or originated from.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name VanWert

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

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 VanWert was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 87.30% 715
Non-Hispanic Black Only (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native 6.47% 53
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 1.95% 16
Hispanic Origin 2.69% 22

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 VanWert has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 87.30% 90.76% -3.89%
Black (S)% (S)% (S)%
Asian and Pacific Islander (S)% (S)% (S)%
American Indian and Alaskan Native 6.47% 5.62% 14.06%
Two or More Races 1.95% 1.62% 18.49%
Hispanic 2.69% 1.25% 73.10%

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

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

Reference this page

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If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!

"VanWert last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on November 25, 2024. http://namecensus.com/last-names/vanwert-surname-popularity/.

"VanWert last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/vanwert-surname-popularity/. Accessed 25 November, 2024

VanWert last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/vanwert-surname-popularity/.

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