Explore the Family Name Van Vliet

The meaning of Van Vliet

Dutch: topographic name for someone who lived by a brook, from vliet ‘brook, stream’, or a habitational name for someone from any of the many places called with this word. Compare Van Fleet, Van Vleet, and Vliet. Some characteristic forenames: Dutch Frans, Gerrit, Klaas, Leendert, Pieter, Willem, Henk, Marinus, Mieke, Nicolaas, Piet.

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

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

According to the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Van Vliet has seen a moderate increase in the United States over the past decade. In 2000, it ranked as the 17,253rd most common surname, but by 2010 it had climbed slightly to the 16,975th position, marking a 1.61% change in rank. The number of individuals bearing this surname also grew from 1,511 in 2000 to 1,674 in 2010, representing an increase of 10.79%. The proportion per 100,000 people saw a small rise of 1.79%, going from 0.56 in 2000 to 0.57 in 2010.

20002010Change
Rank#17,253#16,9751.61%
Count1,5111,67410.79%
Proportion per 100k0.560.571.79%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Van Vliet

The ethnic identity associated with the surname Van Vliet also experienced shifts over this ten-year period, as per data from the Decennial U.S. Census. In 2000, a significant majority of those with the Van Vliet surname (96.16%) identified as White, but this percentage dropped slightly to 94.03% by 2010. The proportion of Van Vliets identifying as Hispanic witnessed the most substantial growth, increasing from 1.19% in 2000 to 2.63% in 2010 - a change of 121.01%. Those identifying as two or more races also increased, from 1.13% to 1.61%, indicating a rise of 42.48%. While the Asian/Pacific Islander group saw a slight decrease from 0.79% to 0.72%, new identifications emerged in 2010: Black (0.66%) and American Indian and Alaskan Native (0.36%), which were not represented in 2000.

20002010Change
White96.16%94.03%-2.22%
Hispanic1.19%2.63%121.01%
Two or More Races1.13%1.61%42.48%
Asian/Pacific Islander0.79%0.72%-8.86%
Black0%0.66%0%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0%0.36%0%