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

Voorhies, 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 Voorhies surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Voorhies in America

Voorhies is the 17530th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Voorhies surname appeared 1,606 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Voorhies.

We can also compare 2010 data for Voorhies 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 Voorhies

The surname Voorhies has its origins in the Dutch language and is believed to have first emerged in the Netherlands around the 16th or 17th century. It is thought to be derived from the Dutch phrase "voor huis," which translates to "in front of the house" or "before the house," potentially referring to a specific location or property.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Voorhies surname can be found in historical documents from the Dutch province of Zeeland, where it was sometimes spelled as "Voorhuys" or "Vorhuis." This suggests that the name may have originated in this coastal region of the Netherlands.

During the 17th and 18th centuries, as Dutch settlers and traders explored and established colonies in various parts of the world, the Voorhies surname began to spread beyond the Netherlands. It is likely that some of the earliest bearers of this name were among those who ventured to the Dutch colonies in the Americas, such as New Netherland (later becoming parts of New York, New Jersey, and Delaware).

Notable individuals with the surname Voorhies include Robert Voorhies (1835-1902), an American politician who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from New Jersey. Another prominent figure was Henri Voorhies (1892-1970), a Belgian painter and illustrator known for his work in the Art Deco style.

In the field of literature, there was John Voorhies (1870-1942), an American author and editor who worked for various publications, including The New York Times and The Saturday Evening Post. Additionally, the name appears in historical records related to the American Civil War, with William Voorhies (1838-1908) serving as a Union Army officer during the conflict.

One of the earliest known references to the Voorhies surname can be traced back to the 17th century in the Netherlands, where a man named Adriaen Voorhies was recorded as living in the city of Middelburg, Zeeland, in the year 1675.

While the surname Voorhies has Dutch roots, it has since spread to various parts of the world, particularly through Dutch emigration and colonial expansion. The name has undergone various spelling variations over time, but its core meaning and connection to the phrase "voor huis" remain a central part of its linguistic and cultural heritage.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Voorhies

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

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

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

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