2000
#10,956
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,664
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.99
Rare Last name
Vreeland
From a Dutch place name, referring to someone from Vreeland in the province of Utrecht, Netherlands.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,908 Americans carry the last name Vreeland. That puts it at #11,805 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.85 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 117,866 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Vreeland 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
2.9K
1 in 117,866
Census rank
#11,805
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,536 bearers of the surname Vreeland in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.85 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 11805th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Vreeland, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.7%) and Two or More Races (3.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Vreeland
The surname Vreeland has its origins in the Netherlands, specifically in the region of Holland. It is derived from the Dutch words "vree," meaning "peaceful" or "free," and "land," meaning "land" or "country." The name likely originated in the Middle Ages, possibly as early as the 12th or 13th century.
One of the earliest recorded references to the name Vreeland can be found in the Dutch archives from the 16th century, where it was often spelled as "Vrielandt." This spelling variation suggests that the name may have initially been associated with a specific location or village in Holland called Vreeland or a similar name.
The name Vreeland is also believed to have been associated with landowners or those who held property in the peaceful or free lands of Holland. During the Middle Ages, surnames often reflected a person's occupation, place of origin, or some distinctive feature.
In the 17th century, the name Vreeland appears in records related to the Dutch settlements in New Amsterdam (later renamed New York) and the surrounding areas. One notable figure from this period was Michael Vreeland, a Dutch settler who arrived in New Netherland (present-day New York) around 1657.
As the Dutch influence spread across the Atlantic, the Vreeland name found its way to various regions of the American colonies. In the 18th century, Garret Vreeland (1735-1804) was a prominent figure in New Jersey, serving as a member of the Provincial Congress and supporting the American Revolutionary cause.
Another noteworthy individual was Walter Vreeland (1870-1926), an American architect and artist who designed several notable buildings in New York City, including the Broadway Theatre and the McAlpin Hotel.
Sigurd Vreeland (1857-1940) was a renowned Norwegian-American engineer and industrialist who played a significant role in the development of the electric power industry in the United States.
In the literary world, Diana Vreeland (1903-1989), a renowned fashion editor and columnist, left a lasting impact on the fashion industry with her distinctive style and influential writings for publications such as Harper's Bazaar and Vogue.
While the surname Vreeland has its roots in the Netherlands, it has since spread across the globe, with individuals bearing this name making significant contributions in various fields, including architecture, engineering, literature, and fashion.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Vreeland
Among Census respondents with the surname Vreeland, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.7%) and Two or More Races (3.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Vreeland 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 Vreeland surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.0% · 2,308
- Hispanic or Latino3.7% · 95
- Two or more races3.7% · 93
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 18
- Black or African American0.5% · 13
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 9
Timeline
Historical Census data for Vreeland
Vreeland 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
#11,778
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,661
-3 bearers (-0.1%)
Per 100,000 0.90
Rank movement Down 822 places
2020
#11,805
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,536
-125 bearers (-4.7%)
Per 100,000 0.85
Rank movement Down 27 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #10,956 | 2,664 | 0.99 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #11,778 | 2,661 | 0.90 | -3 bearers (-0.1%) | Down 822 places |
| 2020 | #11,805 | 2,536 | 0.85 | -125 bearers (-4.7%) | Down 27 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 Vreeland 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 | #11,778 | #11,805 | -0.2% |
| Count | 2,661 | 2,536 | -4.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.90 | 0.85 | -5.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Vreeland bearers went from 2,661 to 2,536 (-4.7% change). The surname moved down 27 positions in the national ranking, going from #11,778 to #11,805.
FAQ
Vreeland surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Vreeland?
Name Census estimates that about 2,908 living Americans carry the surname Vreeland. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 117,866 residents.
How common is Vreeland?
Vreeland ranks #11,805 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.85 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,536 people with the surname Vreeland. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,908), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.85 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.85 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Vreeland.
Has Vreeland become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Vreeland went from 2,661 recorded bearers to 2,536. That is a decrease of 125 (-4.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #11,778 to #11,805.
What does the Census say about the background of Vreeland?
Among Census respondents with the surname Vreeland, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.7%) and Two or More Races (3.7%). 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 Vreeland in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.0% (2,308 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Vreeland appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.0%), Hispanic (3.7%), Two or More Races (3.7%). 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 Vreeland (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 Vreeland mean?
From a Dutch place name, referring to someone from Vreeland in the province of Utrecht, Netherlands. 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 Vreeland (0.85 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 have the last name Vreeland?
If you just want to know how many people have the surname Vreeland, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.