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

VanWright, 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 VanWright surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of VanWright in America

VanWright is the 121590th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The VanWright surname appeared 142 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 VanWright.

We can also compare 2010 data for VanWright 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 VanWright

The surname VANWRIGHT has its origins in England, with records dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "fenn" meaning a fen or marsh, and "wright" referring to a craftsman or maker. This suggests that the name was initially given to someone who worked as a craftsman or builder in a marshy or swampy area.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Huntingdonshire Feet of Fines for 1284, where a Robert Fenwright is mentioned. This spelling variation, along with others like Fenewrichte and Vennewryght, were commonly used before the modern spelling of VANWRIGHT became standardized.

During the 14th century, the name appears in various records across different counties in England. In 1327, a John Vennewryght is listed in the Subsidy Rolls for Cambridgeshire. Additionally, in the Lay Subsidy Rolls for Oxfordshire from 1379, a Thomas Fenwryght is recorded.

As the centuries progressed, the name continued to be documented in various historical records. In the 16th century, a William Vanwright is mentioned in the Parish Registers of St. Mary's Church, Putney, London, in 1564. Another notable individual was Richard Vanwright, who was born around 1590 in Devonshire and served as a member of the English Parliament in the 1620s.

The 17th century saw the name VANWRIGHT appear in various parts of England. One notable figure was John Vanwright, born in 1623 in Nottinghamshire, who became a successful merchant and landowner. Another was Edward Vanwright (1645-1712), a respected scholar and author from Gloucestershire.

In the 18th century, the name continued to be well-represented, with individuals such as William Vanwright (1712-1789), a prominent lawyer from Lincolnshire, and Sarah Vanwright (1734-1802), a philanthropist and activist from Yorkshire.

Throughout the 19th century, the VANWRIGHT surname was found in various parts of England, with individuals like James Vanwright (1812-1884), a renowned architect from Kent, and Elizabeth Vanwright (1845-1923), a pioneering educator from Warwickshire.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name VanWright

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

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

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

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