2000
#31,774
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 687
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.25
Very Rare Last name
Verhoeven
A Dutch surname referring to someone from an elevated or lofty location.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 827 Americans carry the last name Verhoeven. That puts it at #33,925 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.24 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 414,455 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Verhoeven 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
827
1 in 414,455
Census rank
#33,925
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
721
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 721 bearers of the surname Verhoeven in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.24 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 33925th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Verhoeven, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.3%) and Hispanic (3.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Verhoeven
The surname Verhoeven originates from the Netherlands and dates back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Dutch words "ver" meaning "far" and "hoeven" meaning "farms" or "rural estates". This suggests that the name likely referred to someone who lived or worked on a distant farm or rural property.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Verhoeven can be found in a Dutch census record from the year 1275, which lists a "Jan Verhoeven" residing in the town of Eindhoven. The name also appears in various medieval manuscripts and records from the 14th and 15th centuries, often spelled slightly differently, such as "Verhoove" or "Verhoeven".
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Verhoeven name became more widespread throughout the Netherlands, particularly in the provinces of North Brabant and Limburg. It was also commonly associated with certain place names, such as the village of Veldhoven, which was once known as "Veldhoeven" or "Velthooven".
Notable individuals with the surname Verhoeven include the 17th century Dutch painter Pieter Cornelisz Verhoeven (1608-1683), who was known for his landscapes and genre scenes. Another prominent figure was the 18th century Dutch mathematician and philosopher Willem Verhoeven (1738-1808), who made significant contributions to the field of calculus.
In the 19th century, the name Verhoeven was borne by the Dutch writer and journalist Jacob Verhoeven (1820-1891), who was known for his satirical works and advocacy for social reform. Additionally, the Belgian artist and engraver Luc Verhoeven (1835-1907) gained recognition for his intricate engravings and etchings.
One of the most notable individuals with the Verhoeven surname in the 20th century was the Dutch film director and screenwriter Paul Verhoeven (born 1938), best known for his acclaimed films such as "RoboCop", "Total Recall", and "Basic Instinct". His work has had a significant impact on the genre of science fiction and action films.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Verhoeven
Among Census respondents with the surname Verhoeven, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.3%) and Hispanic (3.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Verhoeven 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 Verhoeven surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.3% · 651
- Two or more races4.3% · 31
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 25
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.5% · 11
- Black or African American0.3% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Verhoeven
Verhoeven 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
#31,516
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 734
+47 bearers (+6.8%)
Per 100,000 0.25
Rank movement Up 258 places
2020
#33,925
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 721
-13 bearers (-1.8%)
Per 100,000 0.24
Rank movement Down 2,409 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #31,774 | 687 | 0.25 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #31,516 | 734 | 0.25 | +47 bearers (+6.8%) | Up 258 places |
| 2020 | #33,925 | 721 | 0.24 | -13 bearers (-1.8%) | Down 2,409 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 Verhoeven 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 | #31,516 | #33,925 | -7.6% |
| Count | 734 | 721 | -1.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.25 | 0.24 | -3.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Verhoeven bearers went from 734 to 721 (-1.8% change). The surname moved down 2,409 positions in the national ranking, going from #31,516 to #33,925.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Verhoeven
FAQ
Verhoeven surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Verhoeven?
Name Census estimates that about 827 living Americans carry the surname Verhoeven. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 414,455 residents.
How common is Verhoeven?
Verhoeven ranks #33,925 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.24 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 721 people with the surname Verhoeven. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (827), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.24 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.24 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 Verhoeven.
Has Verhoeven become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Verhoeven went from 734 recorded bearers to 721. That is a decrease of 13 (-1.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #31,516 to #33,925.
What does the Census say about the background of Verhoeven?
Among Census respondents with the surname Verhoeven, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.3%) and Hispanic (3.5%). 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 Verhoeven in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.3% (651 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Verhoeven appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.3%), Two or More Races (4.3%), Hispanic (3.5%). 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 Verhoeven (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 Verhoeven mean?
A Dutch surname referring to someone from an elevated or lofty location. 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 Verhoeven (0.24 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 Verhoeven?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.