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

Verwys, 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 Verwys surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Verwys in America

Verwys is the 104602nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Verwys surname appeared 171 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 Verwys.

We can also compare 2010 data for Verwys 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 Verwys

The surname VERWYS is of Dutch origin, with its roots dating back to the 16th century in the Netherlands. The name is believed to be derived from the Dutch word "verwijzen," which means "to refer" or "to direct." This suggests that the name may have been originally associated with someone who was a guide or a messenger.

In the early records, the name was often spelled as "Verwijse" or "Verwyse," reflecting the variations in spelling and pronunciation that were common during that time. One of the earliest known references to the name is found in a 16th-century manuscript from the city of Leiden, where a certain Pieter Verwijse is mentioned as a prominent merchant.

As the Dutch expanded their trade and colonial influence in the 17th and 18th centuries, the name VERWYS began to appear in various parts of the world. In 1642, a man named Jan Verwys was recorded as one of the first Dutch settlers in the Cape Colony of South Africa.

Another notable bearer of the name was Michiel Verwys, a Dutch naval officer who served in the East Indies in the late 17th century. He was involved in several battles against the British and is mentioned in historical accounts of the period.

In the 18th century, a branch of the VERWYS family settled in the Dutch East Indies (present-day Indonesia). One of their descendants, Pieter Verwys, was born in Batavia (now Jakarta) in 1785 and became a prominent figure in the Dutch colonial administration.

The name VERWYS also appeared in the United States, where it was likely brought by Dutch immigrants in the 19th century. One of the earliest recorded instances is that of Cornelius Verwys, who was born in New York in 1827 and served as a Union soldier during the American Civil War.

Another notable figure with the surname VERWYS was Johannes Verwys, a Dutch theologian and philosopher who lived from 1834 to 1896. He was a prolific writer and made significant contributions to the study of Reformed theology.

Throughout its history, the surname VERWYS has been associated with various occupations and professions, including merchants, military personnel, civil servants, and academics. While not a particularly common name, it has left its mark in several countries and continues to be carried by families of Dutch descent around the world.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Verwys

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

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

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

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