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

VanWinkle, 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 VanWinkle surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of VanWinkle in America

VanWinkle is the 4541st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The VanWinkle surname appeared 7,811 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname VanWinkle.

We can also compare 2010 data for VanWinkle 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 VanWinkle

The surname VANWINKLE has its origins in the Netherlands, tracing back to the 16th century. The name is derived from the Dutch words "van" meaning "from" and "winkel" meaning "shop" or "market stall". It was likely originally used as a descriptive name for someone who lived near or worked at a shop or market.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the VANWINKLE name can be found in the historical records of the Dutch Reformed Church in Amsterdam, where a Cornelius VANWINKLE was baptized in 1587. The name also appears in various Dutch census records and tax rolls from the 17th and 18th centuries, primarily in the provinces of North Holland and South Holland.

As the Dutch began to establish colonies in the Americas in the 17th century, the VANWINKLE name made its way across the Atlantic. One of the earliest known instances of the name in North America is that of Jacobus VANWINKLE, who arrived in New Amsterdam (present-day New York City) in 1654 from the Dutch settlement of Curacao.

In the United States, the VANWINKLE name is often associated with the famous short story "Rip Van Winkle" by Washington Irving, published in 1819. While the story's protagonist is a fictional character, the name VANWINKLE was likely inspired by Dutch settlers in the Hudson Valley region of New York, where Irving grew up.

Notable individuals with the VANWINKLE surname include:

1. Edward VANWINKLE (1808-1875), an American politician who served as the 12th Governor of West Virginia from 1863 to 1869.

2. Isiah VANWINKLE (1759-1839), an American Revolutionary War soldier and pioneer who settled in what is now West Virginia.

3. Gerrit Adriaensz VANWINKLE (1620-1679), a Dutch painter known for his still life and genre paintings.

4. Johannes VANWINKLE (1642-1715), a Dutch goldsmith and engraver who worked in Amsterdam.

5. Rensselaer VANWINKLE (1790-1868), an American lawyer and politician who served as a United States Representative from New York.

The VANWINKLE name has also been associated with various place names in the United States, such as Van Winkle Creek in West Virginia and Van Winkle Hollow in New York, likely named after early settlers bearing the surname.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name VanWinkle

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

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

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

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