Explore the Family Name Van Essen

The meaning of Van Essen

Dutch: 1. habitational name for someone from the German city of Essen or from any of the places in the Netherlands called Essen. 2. possibly also a habitational name for someone from Hesse in Germany (see Hessen 1). 3. variant of Van den Esse, a topographic name for someone living near an ash tree. Some characteristic forenames: German Hans, Ingeborg, Erwin, Otto.

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

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

According to the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname "Van Essen" has seen a slight decline in popularity over the decade from 2000 to 2010. In 2000, it was ranked 40,552nd most popular in the United States, dropping to the 44,653rd spot by 2010, which is a decrease of 10.11%. The total count of people with this surname also decreased from 508 in 2000 to 481 in 2010, representing a change of -5.31%. The proportion per 100,000 people also fell from 0.19 to 0.16 during the same period, a reduction of 15.79%.

20002010Change
Rank#40,552#44,653-10.11%
Count508481-5.31%
Proportion per 100k0.190.16-15.79%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Van Essen

In terms of ethnic identity, the Decennial U.S. Census data shows that the vast majority of people with the Van Essen surname identify as White. This group made up 97.83% of all Van Essens in 2000, and while the percentage dropped slightly to 97.3% in 2010, the change was minimal at -0.54%. There were no individuals identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander, Two or more races, Black, or American Indian and Alaskan Native in either year. Notably, there was a slight increase in those identifying as Hispanic from 0 in 2000 to 1.87% in 2010.

20002010Change
White97.83%97.3%-0.54%
Hispanic0%1.87%0%
Asian/Pacific Islander0%0%0%
Two or More Races0%0%0%
Black0%0%0%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0%0%0%