Explore the Family Name Van Leer

The meaning of Van Leer

Dutch: habitational name for someone from Leer, a town in Lower Saxony, Germany.

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

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

Based on data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname 'Van Leer' has experienced a modest increase between 2000 and 2010. In the year 2000, the surname was ranked 26,738 in terms of popularity and had a count of 856. By 2010, it advanced to the rank of 25,152 with an increased count of 986, showing a change of approximately 15.19 percent. This equates to an increase of 3.13 per hundred thousand people over this ten-year period.

20002010Change
Rank#26,738#25,1525.93%
Count85698615.19%
Proportion per 100k0.320.333.13%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Van Leer

In terms of ethnic identity, again referencing the Decennial U.S. Census data, the distribution among the 'Van Leer' surname shows some notable changes between 2000 and 2010. The highest proportion is under the category 'White', though it decreased from 78.50 percent to 72.82 percent over the decade. The percentage of 'Black' rose from 18.93 percent to 21.81 percent. There was also a significant increase within the 'Hispanic' classification, surging from 1.64 percent to 4.16 percent, a change of 153.66 percent. Those identifying with two or more races also saw a rise, going from 0.82 percent to 1.01 percent. The categories for 'Asian/Pacific Islander' and 'American Indian and Alaskan Native' remained at zero throughout this time frame.

20002010Change
White78.5%72.82%-7.24%
Black18.93%21.81%15.21%
Hispanic1.64%4.16%153.66%
Two or More Races0.82%1.01%23.17%
Asian/Pacific Islander0%0%0%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0%0%0%