2000
#139,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Vervaecke
A Dutch surname referring to someone who lived near a body of water or marshland.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 119 Americans carry the last name Vervaecke. That puts it at #153,590 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,880,289 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Vervaecke 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
119
1 in 2,880,289
Census rank
#153,590
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
104
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 104 bearers of the surname Vervaecke in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 153590th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Vervaecke, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.8%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Vervaecke
The surname VERVAECKE originated in the Flanders region of Belgium during the late medieval period. It is likely derived from the Flemish words "ver" meaning "far" and "vaeck" meaning "often" or "many times," suggesting that the name may have referred to someone who traveled frequently or lived far away.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the VERVAECKE name can be found in the parish records of Kortrijk, a city in West Flanders, dating back to the 16th century. The name was also present in nearby areas such as Ghent and Bruges, indicating its prevalence in the region.
In the 17th century, the VERVAECKE surname appeared in the records of the Flemish Revolt, a series of uprisings against Spanish rule in the Low Countries. Pieter Vervaecke (1590-1663) was a notable figure during this period, serving as a captain in the rebel forces and later becoming a respected merchant in Antwerp.
During the 18th century, the name VERVAECKE was associated with several prominent figures in the arts and sciences. Jan Vervaecke (1725-1798) was a renowned painter from Ghent, known for his landscapes and still-life works. His contemporary, Karel Vervaecke (1730-1805), was a prominent mathematician and astronomer who made significant contributions to the study of celestial mechanics.
In the 19th century, the VERVAECKE name gained recognition in the field of literature. Emilie Vervaecke (1815-1887) was a celebrated Flemish poet and novelist, known for her vivid depictions of rural life in Flanders. Her works were widely acclaimed and helped to popularize the use of the Flemish dialect in literature.
Another notable figure from this period was Louis Vervaecke (1840-1912), a Belgian politician and statesman who served as the Mayor of Ghent and later as a member of the Belgian Senate. He was instrumental in advocating for greater autonomy and recognition of the Flemish language and culture.
Throughout its history, the VERVAECKE surname has been associated with various professions and areas of expertise, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and contributions of those who have carried this name over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Vervaecke
Among Census respondents with the surname Vervaecke, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.8%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Vervaecke 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 Vervaecke surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.3% · 97
- Two or more races4.8% · 5
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.9% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Vervaecke
Vervaecke 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
#158,432
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
-8 bearers (-7.3%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 18,675 places
2020
#153,590
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
+2 bearers (+2.0%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Up 4,842 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #139,757 | 110 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #158,432 | 102 | 0.03 | -8 bearers (-7.3%) | Down 18,675 places |
| 2020 | #153,590 | 104 | 0.03 | +2 bearers (+2.0%) | Up 4,842 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 Vervaecke 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 | #158,432 | #153,590 | 3.1% |
| Count | 102 | 104 | 2.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.03 | 16.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Vervaecke bearers went from 102 to 104 (+2.0% change). The surname moved up 4,842 positions in the national ranking, going from #158,432 to #153,590.
FAQ
Vervaecke surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Vervaecke?
Name Census estimates that about 119 living Americans carry the surname Vervaecke. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,880,289 residents.
How common is Vervaecke?
Vervaecke ranks #153,590 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 104 people with the surname Vervaecke. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (119), 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 Vervaecke.
Has Vervaecke become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Vervaecke went from 102 recorded bearers to 104. That is an increase of 2 (+2.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #158,432 to #153,590.
What does the Census say about the background of Vervaecke?
Among Census respondents with the surname Vervaecke, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.8%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.9%). 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 Vervaecke in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.3% (97 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Vervaecke appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.3%), Two or More Races (4.8%), American Indian/Alaska Native (1.9%). 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 Vervaecke (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 Vervaecke mean?
A Dutch surname referring to someone who lived near a body of water 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 Vervaecke (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 share the surname Vervaecke?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.