Explore the Family Name Van Buren

The meaning of Van Buren

Dutch and Jewish (from the Netherlands): habitational name for someone from any of the many places in the Netherlands named with Middle Dutch buur, buer ‘house, shed’, in particular Buren in Gelderland. History: Cornelis van Buren came to New Netherland (now NY) in 1631. His descendant Martin van Buren (1782–1862) was 8th president of the US (1836–40). — Johannes van Bueren (c.1680–1755), who came to NY from Amsterdam in 1702, was the founder of a famous family of physicians. They are not related to the presidential family.

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name Van Buren in the United States?

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname Van Buren has slightly decreased over the years. In 2000, it ranked 5521, but by 2010, it had slipped to 5874. This decline represents a change of -6.39 percent. Despite this drop in ranking, the count of people with the Van Buren surname increased from 5789 in 2000 to 5874 in 2010. However, when looking at the proportion per 100k, there was a decrease of -7.44 percent.

20002010Change
Rank#5,521#5,874-6.39%
Count5,7895,8741.47%
Proportion per 100k2.151.99-7.44%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Van Buren

In terms of ethnicity, the data from the Decennial U.S. Census reveals that the most common ethnic identity associated with Van Buren is White. Between 2000 and 2010, however, the percentage of White individuals with this surname fell slightly from 78.32 percent to 76.95 percent. Over the same period, the Hispanic population with the surname increased by 44.74 percent, while the representation of those identifying as Two or More Races also rose by 43.61 percent. The percentage of Black people with this surname saw a slight increase, rising from 18.48 percent in 2000 to 18.90 percent in 2010. On the other hand, the percentage of Asian/Pacific Islander and American Indian and Alaskan Native populations fell by 13.33 and 28.57 percent respectively.

20002010Change
White78.32%76.95%-1.75%
Black18.48%18.9%2.27%
Two or More Races1.33%1.91%43.61%
Hispanic1.14%1.65%44.74%
Asian/Pacific Islander0.45%0.39%-13.33%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0.28%0.2%-28.57%

Van Buren ancestry composition

23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Van Buren is British & Irish, which comprises 49.3% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (25.2%) and Scandinavian (4.8%). Additional ancestries include Eastern European, Italian, Nigerian, Spanish & Portuguese, and Ghanaian, Liberian & Sierra Leonean.

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ANCESTRY BREAKDOWNCOMPOSITION
British & Irish49.3%
French & German25.2%
Scandinavian4.8%
Other20.6%
Van Buren

Possible origins of the surname Van Buren

Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.

Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Van Buren have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.

RECENT ANCESTRY LocationPercentage
Glasgow City, United Kingdom87.40%
Greater London, United Kingdom87.40%
Tyne And Wear, United Kingdom86.40%
Merseyside, United Kingdom86.40%
Greater Manchester, United Kingdom86.40%

What Van Buren haplogroups can tell you

Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.

The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Van Buren is R-M405, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-M405 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-Y3444 and R-L48, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Nye, Wyman, Pulley, Matlock, Colton, Stringer, Stamper, Roush, Gower, Pringle.

The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Van Buren surname are: H1, H, K1. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.

van-burenPaternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343
Paternal Haplo Image

Your paternal lineage may be linked to King Louis XVI

The rule of France by men of the House of Bourbon began with King Henri IV in 1589 C.E. and continued until the beheading of his direct paternal descendant King Louis XVI in 1793. Several years ago, researchers analyzed a mummified head and a blood-soaked cloth that they believed might belong to the two kings, and concluded that the royal paternal line belonged to haplogroup G. In a more recent study, however, a different set of researchers tested three living men who are direct descendants of the Bourbon kings. Their efforts revealed that the male lineage of the House of Bourbon is actually a branch of haplogroup R-M405.

Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette

Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.

Maternal Haplo Image

What do people with the surname Van Buren have in common?

Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.

Preferences

Van Buren

Chocolate Ice Cream

Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.

"Van Buren" Surname 34.5%

23andMe Users 41.3%

Traits

Van Buren

Misophonia

When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.

"Van Buren" Surname 21.4%

23andMe Users 27.9%

Habits

Van Buren

Sugary Drink

Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.

"Van Buren" Surname 23.9%

23andMe Users 21.1%

Wellness

Van Buren

Migraine

A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.

"Van Buren" Surname 20.5%

23andMe Users 16.4%

Are health conditions linked to the last name Van Buren?

The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.

Disease variant frequency by ancestry

Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Van Buren are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition

Age-Related Macular Degeneration

Y402H variant

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the most common cause of irreversible vision loss among older adults. The disease results in damage to the central part of the retina (the macula), impairing vision needed for reading, driving, or even recognizing faces. The 23andMe Health + Ancestry DNA test includes the two most common variants associated with an increased risk of developing the condition: the Y402H variant in the CFH gene and the A69S variant in the ARMS2 gene. Learn more about Age-Related Macular Degeneration

British & Irish 62.1%

23andMe Users 57.2%