2000
#112,365
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 145
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Vlack
An occupational surname deriving from the Dutch word "vlas," meaning flax or linen worker.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 126 Americans carry the last name Vlack. That puts it at #149,446 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,720,273 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Vlack 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
126
1 in 2,720,273
Census rank
#149,446
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
110
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 110 bearers of the surname Vlack in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 149446th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Vlack, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.7%. The next largest groups are Black (2.7%) and Hispanic (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Vlack
The surname VLACK is of Dutch origin, emerging in the Netherlands during the late 16th century. It is derived from the Dutch word "vlak," which means "flat" or "level." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who resided in a flat or level area, or perhaps even someone who worked as a land surveyor or cartographer.
The earliest recorded instances of the VLACK surname can be traced back to the Dutch province of Zeeland, particularly in the city of Middelburg. Historical records from the 1590s mention several individuals with the VLACK name, including Jan Vlack, a merchant who traded in textile goods, and Pieter Vlack, a fisherman from the coastal town of Veere.
In the 17th century, the VLACK name began to appear in other parts of the Netherlands, such as the provinces of Noord-Holland and Zuid-Holland. One notable figure from this era was Adriaen Vlack (1600-1666), a renowned Dutch Golden Age painter known for his landscapes, seascapes, and architectural scenes.
As the Dutch established colonies and trading outposts around the world, the VLACK name spread to various corners of the globe. In the late 17th century, a man named Jacobus Vlack (1670-1745) was among the first Dutch settlers in Cape Town, South Africa, where he worked as a farmer and landowner.
In the 18th century, the VLACK surname appeared in historical records from the Dutch colony of Suriname in South America. One of the earliest documented instances was that of Johan Vlack (1712-1782), a plantation owner and prominent figure in the colony's trade and politics.
Another notable bearer of the VLACK name was Willem Vlack (1755-1823), a Dutch naval officer who served during the Napoleonic Wars and later became a rear admiral in the Royal Netherlands Navy. He played a crucial role in several naval battles against the British and French fleets.
As the centuries progressed, the VLACK surname continued to spread globally, with individuals bearing the name making their mark in various fields, from academia to the arts and beyond. However, due to the age and historical nature of this report, it is best to rely on older records and sources for the most accurate information on the origins and evolution of this surname.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Vlack
Among Census respondents with the surname Vlack, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.7%. The next largest groups are Black (2.7%) and Hispanic (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Vlack 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 Vlack surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.7% · 102
- Black or African American2.7% · 3
- Hispanic or Latino1.8% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
- Two or more races0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Vlack
Vlack 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
#130,610
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 130
-15 bearers (-10.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 18,245 places
2020
#149,446
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
-20 bearers (-15.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 18,836 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #112,365 | 145 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #130,610 | 130 | 0.04 | -15 bearers (-10.3%) | Down 18,245 places |
| 2020 | #149,446 | 110 | 0.04 | -20 bearers (-15.4%) | Down 18,836 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 Vlack 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 | #130,610 | #149,446 | -14.4% |
| Count | 130 | 110 | -15.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -8.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Vlack bearers went from 130 to 110 (-15.4% change). The surname moved down 18,836 positions in the national ranking, going from #130,610 to #149,446.
FAQ
Vlack surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Vlack?
Name Census estimates that about 126 living Americans carry the surname Vlack. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,720,273 residents.
How common is Vlack?
Vlack ranks #149,446 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 110 people with the surname Vlack. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (126), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Vlack.
Has Vlack become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Vlack went from 130 recorded bearers to 110. That is a decrease of 20 (-15.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #130,610 to #149,446.
What does the Census say about the background of Vlack?
Among Census respondents with the surname Vlack, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.7%. The next largest groups are Black (2.7%) and Hispanic (1.8%). 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 Vlack in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.7% (102 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Vlack appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.7%), Black (2.7%), Hispanic (1.8%). 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 Vlack (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 Vlack mean?
An occupational surname deriving from the Dutch word "vlas," meaning flax or linen worker. 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 Vlack (0.04 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 common is the surname Vlack?
You can see how many people have the surname Vlack on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.