2000
#142,819
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Vanwettering
A Dutch surname indicating a connection to the village Wetteren.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 138 Americans carry the last name Vanwettering. That puts it at #142,049 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,483,727 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Vanwettering 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
138
1 in 2,483,727
Census rank
#142,049
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
120
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 120 bearers of the surname Vanwettering in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142049th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Vanwettering, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (5.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Vanwettering
The surname VANWETTERING has its origins in the Netherlands, with the earliest records dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to be derived from the Dutch words "van" meaning "from" and "wettering" referring to a meadow or wetland area. This suggests that the name may have originated as a descriptive term for someone who lived near or owned land in a marshy or swampy region.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Dutch municipal records of the city of Utrecht from the late 1500s, where a certain Hendrick VANWETTERING is mentioned as a landowner. Another early reference is in a 17th-century church register from the town of Gouda, which lists the baptism of a child named Johannes VANWETTERING.
In the 18th century, the name appears to have spread beyond the Netherlands, with records indicating the presence of individuals bearing the surname VANWETTERING in various parts of what is now Germany and Belgium. One notable figure from this period was Pieter VANWETTERING, a Dutch merchant and trader who established a successful import-export business in the city of Hamburg around 1760.
As the centuries progressed, members of the VANWETTERING family continued to migrate and establish themselves in different parts of Europe and beyond. In the early 19th century, a certain Jacobus VANWETTERING was recorded as a settler in the Cape Colony of South Africa, where he worked as a farmer and landowner.
Another notable individual with this surname was Willem VANWETTERING, a Dutch-born engineer and inventor who lived from 1837 to 1912. He is credited with developing several innovative designs for wind-powered machinery and is regarded as a pioneer in the field of wind energy technology.
In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the VANWETTERING name can be found in various immigration records and census data from countries such as the United States, Canada, and Australia, indicating that members of the family had begun to settle in these regions as well.
Overall, the surname VANWETTERING has a rich history that spans several centuries and can be traced back to its origins in the Netherlands, where it likely originated as a descriptive term for those living in or near wetland areas. Despite its humble beginnings, the name has been carried by individuals who have made significant contributions in various fields, from commerce and trade to engineering and innovation.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Vanwettering
Among Census respondents with the surname Vanwettering, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (5.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Vanwettering 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 Vanwettering surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White82.5% · 99
- Hispanic or Latino7.5% · 9
- Asian and Pacific Islander5.0% · 6
- Black or African American1.7% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.7% · 2
- Two or more races1.7% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Vanwettering
Vanwettering 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
#133,863
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 126
+19 bearers (+17.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 8,956 places
2020
#142,049
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
-6 bearers (-4.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 8,186 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #142,819 | 107 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #133,863 | 126 | 0.04 | +19 bearers (+17.8%) | Up 8,956 places |
| 2020 | #142,049 | 120 | 0.04 | -6 bearers (-4.8%) | Down 8,186 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 Vanwettering 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 | #133,863 | #142,049 | -6.1% |
| Count | 126 | 120 | -4.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 0.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Vanwettering bearers went from 126 to 120 (-4.8% change). The surname moved down 8,186 positions in the national ranking, going from #133,863 to #142,049.
FAQ
Vanwettering surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Vanwettering?
Name Census estimates that about 138 living Americans carry the surname Vanwettering. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,483,727 residents.
How common is Vanwettering?
Vanwettering ranks #142,049 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 120 people with the surname Vanwettering. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (138), 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 Vanwettering.
Has Vanwettering become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Vanwettering went from 126 recorded bearers to 120. That is a decrease of 6 (-4.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #133,863 to #142,049.
What does the Census say about the background of Vanwettering?
Among Census respondents with the surname Vanwettering, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (5.0%). 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 Vanwettering in the 2020 Census, accounting for 82.5% (99 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Vanwettering appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (82.5%), Hispanic (7.5%), Asian/Pacific Islander (5.0%). 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 Vanwettering (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 Vanwettering mean?
A Dutch surname indicating a connection to the village Wetteren. 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 Vanwettering (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 share the surname Vanwettering?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.