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

Westervelt, 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 Westervelt surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Westervelt in America

Westervelt is the 13322nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Westervelt surname appeared 2,290 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 Westervelt.

We can also compare 2010 data for Westervelt 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 Westervelt

The surname Westervelt originates from the Netherlands, with its earliest known roots traced back to the 17th century. It is believed to be derived from the Dutch words "wester" meaning "western" and "veld" meaning "field" or "open area," suggesting that the name may have referred to someone who lived or worked in a western field or meadow.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Westervelt surname can be found in the Dutch Reformed Church records of New Amsterdam (present-day New York City) in the late 1600s. This indicates that the name was likely brought to the American colonies by Dutch settlers during the early days of European colonization.

In the Netherlands, the Westervelt name was concentrated in the provinces of North Holland and South Holland, particularly around the cities of Amsterdam and Rotterdam. Some historical records from this region mention individuals with variations of the spelling, such as Westerveldt, Westervelt, and Westerveld.

One notable figure bearing the Westervelt surname was Jacob Westervelt (1690-1768), a prominent merchant and landowner in colonial New York. He was among the first Westervelt settlers in the Americas and played a significant role in the development of the Dutch community in what is now Brooklyn.

Another historical figure of note was Abraham Westervelt (1753-1835), a Revolutionary War veteran from New Jersey. He served as a private in the Continental Army and later became a respected community leader in his hometown of Hackensack.

In the 19th century, Henry Westervelt (1814-1891) was a prominent lawyer and judge in New York City. He served as a judge in the New York Supreme Court and was known for his expertise in commercial law.

During the same period, Cornelius Westervelt (1828-1903) was a successful businessman and philanthropist from Brooklyn. He made his fortune in the shipping industry and donated generously to various educational and religious institutions in the area.

Lastly, Gerardus Westervelt (1855-1932) was a Dutch-American artist and painter known for his landscape and seascape works. He studied in the Netherlands and later settled in New York, where he gained recognition for his depictions of the Hudson River Valley and Long Island coastline.

While the Westervelt name has its roots in the Netherlands and was initially brought to the Americas by Dutch settlers, it has since spread to various parts of the United States and other countries, with descendants of the early Westervelt families contributing to various fields and industries over the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Westervelt

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

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

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

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