2000
#117,538
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 137
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Vanbalen
A Dutch surname referring to someone from the town of Balen.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 192 Americans carry the last name Vanbalen. That puts it at #111,996 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.06 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,785,179 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Vanbalen surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
192
1 in 1,785,179
Census rank
#111,996
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
167
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 167 bearers of the surname Vanbalen in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.06 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 111996th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Vanbalen, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (10.2%) and Two or More Races (2.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Vanbalen
The surname VANBALEN has its origins in the Netherlands, dating back to the late medieval period. It is believed to be derived from the Dutch words "van" meaning "from" and "Balen," referring to a town or village in the region of North Brabant. This suggests that the name likely originated as a locational surname, indicating an individual's place of birth or residence.
Historical records show that the name VANBALEN appeared in various medieval documents, such as tax rolls and property deeds from the 15th and 16th centuries. One notable early mention was in a 1487 census record from the city of Breda, which listed a Johannes van Balen as a resident.
In the 17th century, a prominent figure bearing the VANBALEN surname was Hendrick van Balen (1575-1632), a Dutch Golden Age painter known for his religious and mythological works. His son, Jan van Balen (1611-1654), followed in his footsteps and became a successful painter as well.
Another notable VANBALEN was Mattheus van Balen (1611-1691), a Flemish historian and writer who authored several works on the history of the Low Countries, including the influential "Beschryvinge der Stadt Dordrecht" (Description of the City of Dordrecht).
In the 19th century, a Dutch mathematician named Willebrord Snell van Balen (1801-1858) made significant contributions to the field of geometry and is credited with introducing the concept of the "van Balen line" in triangles.
Another individual of note was Lodewijk van Balen (1865-1936), a Dutch architect who designed several notable buildings in Amsterdam, including the Beurs van Berlage (Stock Exchange) and the Hollandsche Manege (Dutch Riding School).
Over time, the VANBALEN surname has spread beyond the Netherlands, with individuals bearing this name found in various parts of Europe and other regions of the world due to migration and immigration patterns. Variations in spelling, such as Van Balen, Vanbalen, or Van Balen, may also exist.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Vanbalen
Among Census respondents with the surname Vanbalen, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (10.2%) and Two or More Races (2.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Vanbalen bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Vanbalen surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White84.4% · 141
- Hispanic or Latino10.2% · 17
- Two or more races2.4% · 4
- Black or African American1.2% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.2% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Vanbalen
Vanbalen appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#114,424
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 153
+16 bearers (+11.7%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Up 3,114 places
2020
#111,996
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 167
+14 bearers (+9.2%)
Per 100,000 0.06
Rank movement Up 2,428 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #117,538 | 137 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #114,424 | 153 | 0.05 | +16 bearers (+11.7%) | Up 3,114 places |
| 2020 | #111,996 | 167 | 0.06 | +14 bearers (+9.2%) | Up 2,428 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Vanbalen surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #114,424 | #111,996 | 2.1% |
| Count | 153 | 167 | 9.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.06 | 11.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Vanbalen bearers went from 153 to 167 (+9.2% change). The surname moved up 2,428 positions in the national ranking, going from #114,424 to #111,996.
FAQ
Vanbalen surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Vanbalen?
Name Census estimates that about 192 living Americans carry the surname Vanbalen. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,785,179 residents.
How common is Vanbalen?
Vanbalen ranks #111,996 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.06 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 167 people with the surname Vanbalen. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (192), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.06 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.06 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Vanbalen.
Has Vanbalen become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Vanbalen went from 153 recorded bearers to 167. That is an increase of 14 (+9.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #114,424 to #111,996.
What does the Census say about the background of Vanbalen?
Among Census respondents with the surname Vanbalen, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (10.2%) and Two or More Races (2.4%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Vanbalen in the 2020 Census, accounting for 84.4% (141 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Vanbalen appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (84.4%), Hispanic (10.2%), Two or More Races (2.4%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Vanbalen (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Vanbalen mean?
A Dutch surname referring to someone from the town of Balen. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Vanbalen (0.06 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How common is the surname Vanbalen?
Find out how many people are called Vanbalen on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.