2000
#146,011
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Varenhorst
Of Dutch origin, a topographic name possibly denoting a settlement near a fen or marshland.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 118 Americans carry the last name Varenhorst. That puts it at #154,182 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,904,698 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Varenhorst 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
118
1 in 2,904,698
Census rank
#154,182
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
103
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 103 bearers of the surname Varenhorst in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 154182nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Varenhorst, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.8%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (2.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Varenhorst
The surname Varenhorst has its origins in the Netherlands, dating back to the early medieval period around the 11th century. It is believed to have originated from a place name, likely derived from a combination of the Dutch words "varen" meaning "fern" and "horst" meaning "wooded hill" or "thicket". This suggests that the name may have been associated with a location characterized by fern-covered hills or thickets.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in a 13th-century manuscript from the city of Utrecht, which mentions a person named "Reinier van der Varenhorst". This particular spelling variation, "van der Varenhorst", indicates that the individual was likely from or associated with a specific place called Varenhorst.
Throughout the medieval and early modern periods, the Varenhorst surname appears to have been concentrated primarily in the northern and eastern provinces of the Netherlands, such as Drenthe, Overijssel, and Gelderland. Several historical records from these regions mention individuals with this surname, including a notable figure named Willem Varenhorst (1580-1648), who served as a prominent merchant and alderman in the city of Zwolle during the Dutch Golden Age.
In the 18th century, a branch of the Varenhorst family settled in the Dutch East Indies (present-day Indonesia), where they established themselves as successful traders and plantation owners. One notable member of this branch was Jan Varenhorst (1735-1804), who was appointed as the governor of the Moluccas islands by the Dutch East India Company.
As Dutch settlers and immigrants dispersed to other parts of the world, the surname Varenhorst also spread to various countries. For instance, in the late 19th century, a family bearing this name emigrated to the United States and settled in the Midwest region, where they became prominent farmers and landowners.
Other notable individuals with the surname Varenhorst include:
1. Pieter Varenhorst (1610-1675), a Dutch Golden Age painter known for his still-life and genre paintings.
2. Hendrik Varenhorst (1822-1892), a Dutch politician and member of the House of Representatives.
3. Johanna Varenhorst (1860-1943), a Dutch feminist and advocate for women's rights.
4. Gerrit Varenhorst (1876-1954), a Dutch-born American farmer and community leader in Iowa.
5. Marieke Varenhorst (born 1989), a Dutch professional beach volleyball player who competed in the 2016 and 2020 Olympic Games.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Varenhorst
Among Census respondents with the surname Varenhorst, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.8%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (2.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Varenhorst 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 Varenhorst surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.4% · 90
- Hispanic or Latino5.8% · 6
- American Indian and Alaska Native2.9% · 3
- Black or African American1.9% · 2
- Two or more races1.9% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Varenhorst
Varenhorst 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
#150,452
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
+5 bearers (+4.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 4,441 places
2020
#154,182
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
-6 bearers (-5.5%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 3,730 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #146,011 | 104 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #150,452 | 109 | 0.04 | +5 bearers (+4.8%) | Down 4,441 places |
| 2020 | #154,182 | 103 | 0.03 | -6 bearers (-5.5%) | Down 3,730 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 Varenhorst 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 | #150,452 | #154,182 | -2.5% |
| Count | 109 | 103 | -5.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -13.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Varenhorst bearers went from 109 to 103 (-5.5% change). The surname moved down 3,730 positions in the national ranking, going from #150,452 to #154,182.
FAQ
Varenhorst surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Varenhorst?
Name Census estimates that about 118 living Americans carry the surname Varenhorst. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,904,698 residents.
How common is Varenhorst?
Varenhorst ranks #154,182 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 103 people with the surname Varenhorst. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (118), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Varenhorst.
Has Varenhorst become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Varenhorst went from 109 recorded bearers to 103. That is a decrease of 6 (-5.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #150,452 to #154,182.
What does the Census say about the background of Varenhorst?
Among Census respondents with the surname Varenhorst, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.8%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (2.9%). 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 Varenhorst in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.4% (90 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Varenhorst appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.4%), Hispanic (5.8%), American Indian/Alaska Native (2.9%). 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 Varenhorst (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 Varenhorst mean?
Of Dutch origin, a topographic name possibly denoting a settlement near a fen or marshland. 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 Varenhorst (0.03 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 Varenhorst?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.