2000
#144,908
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Vrieling
A Dutch surname meaning "young plant" or "seedling."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 130 Americans carry the last name Vrieling. That puts it at #147,221 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,636,572 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Vrieling 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
130
1 in 2,636,572
Census rank
#147,221
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
113
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 113 bearers of the surname Vrieling in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147221st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Vrieling, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.8%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (3.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Vrieling
The surname Vrieling originated in the Netherlands and dates back to the 17th century. It is derived from the Dutch word "vrijen," which means "to court" or "to woo," suggesting that the name may have originally referred to someone who was particularly skilled in courting or charming potential romantic partners.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Vrieling can be found in the Dutch municipal records from the city of Leiden in the late 1600s. These records mention a family by the name of Vrieling who were prominent merchants and traders in the city.
In the 18th century, the name Vrieling appeared in various Dutch genealogical records and church registers, indicating that the name had become well-established in various parts of the Netherlands. One notable individual from this time period was Jan Vrieling (1692-1768), a Dutch painter and engraver who was known for his landscape paintings and etchings.
As the Dutch colonial empire expanded in the 17th and 18th centuries, the Vrieling name also began to appear in records from Dutch settlements in other parts of the world. For example, there are records of a Pieter Vrieling who was a merchant and trader in the Dutch East Indies (modern-day Indonesia) in the early 1700s.
In the 19th century, the Vrieling name continued to be prominent in the Netherlands, with several individuals achieving notable success in various fields. For instance, Dirk Vrieling (1825-1899) was a Dutch politician and lawyer who served as a member of the Dutch parliament for several years.
Another notable individual with the Vrieling surname was Jacobus Vrieling (1865-1941), a Dutch historian and author who wrote extensively on the history of the Netherlands and the Dutch colonial empire. His works are still widely cited by scholars and historians today.
As the 20th century dawned, the Vrieling name continued to be carried by individuals in various professions and walks of life. One prominent example is Adriaan Vrieling (1906-1991), a Dutch businessman and entrepreneur who founded a successful shipping company that operated throughout Europe and beyond.
Overall, the surname Vrieling has a rich and storied history that spans several centuries and can be traced back to its origins in the Netherlands. While the name may have begun as a reference to courtship and romantic pursuits, it has since been carried by individuals from all walks of life, including merchants, artists, politicians, and entrepreneurs.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Vrieling
Among Census respondents with the surname Vrieling, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.8%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (3.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Vrieling 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 Vrieling surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White85.0% · 96
- Hispanic or Latino8.8% · 10
- American Indian and Alaska Native3.5% · 4
- Black or African American1.8% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Vrieling
Vrieling 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
#136,449
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 123
+18 bearers (+17.1%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 8,459 places
2020
#147,221
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
-10 bearers (-8.1%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 10,772 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #144,908 | 105 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #136,449 | 123 | 0.04 | +18 bearers (+17.1%) | Up 8,459 places |
| 2020 | #147,221 | 113 | 0.04 | -10 bearers (-8.1%) | Down 10,772 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 Vrieling 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 | #136,449 | #147,221 | -7.9% |
| Count | 123 | 113 | -8.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -5.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Vrieling bearers went from 123 to 113 (-8.1% change). The surname moved down 10,772 positions in the national ranking, going from #136,449 to #147,221.
FAQ
Vrieling surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Vrieling?
Name Census estimates that about 130 living Americans carry the surname Vrieling. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,636,572 residents.
How common is Vrieling?
Vrieling ranks #147,221 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 113 people with the surname Vrieling. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (130), 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 Vrieling.
Has Vrieling become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Vrieling went from 123 recorded bearers to 113. That is a decrease of 10 (-8.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #136,449 to #147,221.
What does the Census say about the background of Vrieling?
Among Census respondents with the surname Vrieling, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.8%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (3.5%). 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 Vrieling in the 2020 Census, accounting for 85.0% (96 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Vrieling appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (85.0%), Hispanic (8.8%), American Indian/Alaska Native (3.5%). 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 Vrieling (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 Vrieling mean?
A Dutch surname meaning "young plant" or "seedling." 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 Vrieling (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 many Americans have the surname Vrieling?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.