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

Vossen, 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 Vossen surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Vossen in America

Vossen is the 29878th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Vossen surname appeared 786 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 Vossen.

We can also compare 2010 data for Vossen 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 Vossen

The surname Vossen originated in the Low Countries, specifically the regions that are now modern-day Belgium and the Netherlands. It is believed to have first emerged in the 12th or 13th century. The name is derived from the Middle Dutch word "vos," which means "fox." This suggests that the surname may have initially been a descriptive nickname, given to someone who exhibited fox-like characteristics or perhaps had reddish hair reminiscent of a fox's fur.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Vossen can be found in the Gildeboek van Gent, a historical record of guilds in the city of Ghent, Belgium, dating back to the 14th century. The name appears in various spellings, such as "Vos," "Vossen," and "Vosse," reflecting the linguistic variations common in that era.

In the 15th century, a notable figure named Jan Vossen (c. 1420-1490) was a prominent merchant and alderman in the city of Antwerp, Belgium. His descendants continued to play influential roles in the city's economic and political affairs for generations.

During the 16th century, a man named Pieter Vossen (c. 1510-1580) was a renowned painter and engraver from the Dutch city of Delft. His works, often depicting biblical scenes and landscapes, were highly regarded in his time and can still be found in several art museums across Europe.

In the 17th century, the name Vossen appeared in the records of the Dutch East India Company (VOC), where a man named Dirk Vossen (c. 1630-1690) served as a captain and navigator. He was responsible for several successful trading voyages to the East Indies, contributing to the company's expansion and economic prosperity.

Another notable figure was Johanna Vossen (1766-1842), a Dutch writer and poet from Amsterdam. Her collection of poems, published in 1810, earned her widespread acclaim and recognition as one of the leading literary figures of her time.

Throughout the centuries, the surname Vossen has been associated with various occupations, including merchants, artisans, sailors, and writers. While its origins can be traced back to the Low Countries, the name has since spread to other parts of Europe and beyond, carried by generations of individuals bearing this distinctive surname.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Vossen

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

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

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

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