Vandenberg History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Netherlands-Alt
Netherlands
Germany

The ancient German region of the Rhineland, gave birth to the family name of Vandenberg. At first, people used only a single name, but as the population grew and people began to travel, they began to find it necessary to take on an additional name to differentiate themselves. Fairly general principles guided the development of hereditary surnames in the Rhineland. Among the most common forms of surname found in the Rhineland are those that are derived from nicknames. Nickname surnames were derived from an "eke-name" or added name. They usually reflected the physical characteristics or attributes of the first person that used the name. The name was derived from the German word "burc," which means a "fortified town." The surname Vandenberg was a name for a person who lived in a town.

Early Origins of the Vandenberg family

The surname Vandenberg was first found in the Rhineland, where this family name became a prominent contributor to the development of the district from ancient times. Always prominent in social affairs, the name became an integral part of that turbulent region as it emerged to form alliances with other families within the Feudal System and the nation.

Early History of the Vandenberg family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Vandenberg research. Another 144 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1100, 1540, 1550, 1556, 1573, 1579, 1589, 1599, 1716, 1763, 1765, 1834 and 1842 are included under the topic Early Vandenberg History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Vandenberg Spelling Variations

Many cultural groups lived in the German states in medieval times. Each had its own dialect and traditions, and unique variations of popular names. Low German, which is similar to contemporary Dutch, was spoken in Westphalia. German names are characterized by additions such as regional suffixes and phrases that tell something about the origin or background of its original bearer. Further contributing to the variation in German names was the fact that there were no spelling rules in medieval times: scribes recorded names according to their sound. The recorded spelling variations of Vandenberg include Berg, Bergh, Berghe, Bergg, Berge, Bergge, Burg, Burgh and many more.

Early Notables of the Vandenberg family

Notables with the name Vandenberg during this period were Adam Berg, a renowned music printer of Munich, whose publications extend from 1540 to about 1599. His great work was the 'Patrocinium musices,' published under the patronage of the Dukes of Bavaria, the first volume of which appeared in 1573. After the death of Duke Albrecht V, in 1579, the publication was interrupted, and not resumed till 1589, when the second series appeared, also containing five volumes. 1 George Berg, a German by birth, was a pupil of Dr. Pepusch. In 1763 he gained the first prize medal awarded by...
Another 97 words (7 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Vandenberg Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Vandenberg World Ranking

In the United States, the name Vandenberg is the 6,460^th most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 2 However, in Netherlands, the name Vandenberg is ranked the 21^st most popular surname with an estimated 27,565 people with that name. 3 And in South Africa, the name Vandenberg is the 286^th popular surname with an estimated 23,896 people with that name. 4

Vandenberg migration to the United States +

Between the 17th and 20th centuries, hundreds of thousands of Europeans came to North America, and many Rhinelanders were among them. They had many various reasons for making the choice: to escape poverty and persecution, for adventure, and for the opportunity to own their own land. Ellis Island, one of the main American immigration centers, saw many settlers as they moved on to the states of Pennsylvania, Ohio, Texas, Illinois, California, and New York. In Canada, they found homes in Ontario, and on the great plains of the Midwestern provinces. The Vandenberg were among of the early German families that came to North America:

Vandenberg Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Aaltje VanDenBerg, aged 36, who arrived in Baltimore, Maryland in 1847 5
Aart VandenBerg, aged 39, who landed in New York, NY in 1847 5
Cornelis VanDenBerg, aged 45, who arrived in Baltimore, Maryland in 1847 5
Jakoba Knaap VandenBerg, aged 42, who arrived in New York, NY in 1847 5
L VanDenBerg, aged 31, who landed in Baltimore, Maryland in 1847 5
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Vandenberg (post 1700) +

Lodewijk van den Berg (1932-2022), Dutch-born, American chemical engineer who studied crystal growth and flew on a 1985 Space Shuttle Challenger
Harold Harris "Hy" Vandenberg (1906-1994), American Major League Baseball player
James Vandenberg (b. 1989), American football player
Hoyt Sanford Vandenberg (1899-1954), American U.S. Air Force general, Air Force Chief of Staff, and the Director of the Central Intelligence Agency
Arthur Hendrick Vandenberg (1884-1951), American politician, member of the U.S. Senate (1928-1951)
John Roland Vandenberg, American Republican politician, Candidate in primary for Michigan State Senate 14th District, 1950 6
John R. Vandenberg, American Republican politician, Candidate for Michigan State House of Representatives from Wayne County 1st District, 1952 6
John E. VandenBerg, American Republican politician, Candidate in primary for Michigan State Senate 17th District, 1948 6
John Vandenberg, American politician, Member of New York State Assembly from Wayne County 1st District, 1866-67 6
Edward Vandenberg, American Republican politician, Candidate in primary for Michigan State House of Representatives from Shiawassee District, 1948; Candidate in primary for Michigan State Senate 15th District, 1950 6
... (Another 16 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Citations +

Grove, Sir George, A Dictionary of Music and Musicians (AD. 1450-1889) London: Macmillan1902, Print, 2 Vols
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
"Most Common Last Names in Netherlands." Forebears, https://forebears.io/netherlands/surnames
"Most Common Last Names in South Africa." Forebears, https://forebears.io/south-africa/surnames
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, February 2) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html