List of Dutch Americans

New Netherlands flag

The first Dutch settlers arrived in 1613 and founded a number of villages and a town called New Amsterdam on the East Coast, which would become the future world metropolis of New York. According to the 2006 United States Census, more than 5 million Americans claim total or partial Dutch heritage. Today the majority of the Dutch Americans live in California, New York, Michigan, Montana, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Idaho, Iowa, Ohio and Pennsylvania

This is a list of notable Dutch-Americans, including both original immigrants who obtained American citizenship and Americans of full or partial Dutch ancestry.

This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.

To be included in this list, the person must have a Wikipedia article showing they are Dutch American or must have references showing they are Dutch American and are notable.

List

Arts and literature

• Willem De Kooning (1904–1997), famous abstract expressionist painter
• Barthold Fles (1902–1989), literary agent, author, editor, translator and publisher
• Charles Fort (1874–1932), author, wrote Book of the Damned, father of ufology, cryptozoology and critic/satirist of mainstream, dogmatic science.
• Frederick Franck (1909–2006), painter, sculptor, and author of 30 books who was known for his interest in human spirituality*
• Herman Melville (1819–1891), author and poet, wrote Moby Dick
• Milton J. Nieuwsma (1941- ), author, filmwriter-producer
• Gloria Vanderbilt (1924- ), artist and socialite
• Janwillem van de Wetering (1931–2008), Dutch-American author of police procedurals, Zen autobiographies and children's books
• Walt Whitman (1819–1892), poet
• Edward W. Bok (1863–1930), author, publisher, editor of Ladies Home Journal
• Raeburn van Buren - magazine and comic strip illustrator best known for his work on the syndicated Abbie an' Slats
• Hendrik Willem van Loon (1882–1944), author, historian and journalist

Entertainment

• Christina Aguilera, Female singer, actress and model.
• Reiko Aylesworth (1972 - ) actress, best known for playing Michelle Dessler in the television series 24
• Carmit Bachar, member of the Pussycat Dolls, born to an Israeli father and Dutch-Indonesian mother
• Shannon Bex, member of Danity Kane, is of Scottish and Dutch descent.
• Humphrey Bogart (1899–1957) - His father was of Dutch descent. The name “Bogart” comes from the Dutch surname “Bogaert”. It is derived from the word “bogaard”, a short name for “boomgaard”, which means “orchard”.
• Matt LeBlanc, actor (His father is part of Dutch descent)
• Moon Bloodgood, (1975-) American actress.
• Michelle Branch (1983 - ) American singer (Dutch through her maternal grandfather)
• Marlon Brando (1924–2004) Hollywood film actor, father was of partial Dutch ancestry.
• John Carradine (1906–1988) American actor, descendants of Dutch diamond merchant, Kiliaen van Rensselaer who settled the province of Albany, NY in the seventeenth century.
• Keith Carradine (1949-) Actor and son of John Carradine
• Robert Carradine (1954-) Actor
• David Carradine (1931–2009) Actor
• Ever Carradine (1974-) Actress and daughter of Robert Carradine
• Wilhelmina Cooper - née Behmenburg, model who began with Ford Models and, at the peak of her success, founded her own agency, Wilhelmina Models
• Robert DeNiro (1943 - ) two time Academy Award winning actor
• Montgomery Clift (1920–1966) actor, of partial maternal Dutch ancestry
• Joyce DeWitt (1949 - ) actress
• Thomas Dekker (1987 - ) American actor, his father is Dutch
• Lee Van Cleef (1925–1989) film actor, his father was Dutch and his mother was Dutch-Indonesian.
• Charlize Theron (1975 - ) South African actress of German, Dutch and French descent. Now naturalised citizen of the United States.
• Clint Eastwood (1930 - ) film actor and director*
• Frances Farmer (1913–1970) film actress, her mother was of Dutch ancestry.
• Nina Foch (1924–2008) film actress, father was from the Netherlands
• Bridget Fonda (1964 - ) actress
• Henry Fonda (1905–1982) film actor
• Jane Fonda (1937 - ), actress
• Peter Fonda (February 23, 1940), actor, Ghost Rider
• Ace Frehley (April 27, 1951) musician, Dutch Paternal side
• Janina Gavankar (1980 - ) American actress of Indian and Dutch ancestry.
• Mark-Paul Gosselaar (1974 - ) actor, perhaps best known for his role as Zack Morris on NBC's Saved by the Bell
• Lucas Grabeel (1984 - ) American actor of English and Dutch ancestry, best known for his role as Ryan Evans in High School Musical (film series)
• Betty Grable (1916–1973) actress, singer, dancer and pin-up girl whose sensational bathing-suit photo became the number one pinup of the World War II era
• Dexter Holland (1965 - ) singer of The Offspring
• Laura Jansen, (1977 - ) Singer/Songwriter
• Angelina Jolie, (1975) actress, Her mother has French Canadian and Dutch ancestry.
• Kim Kardashian (1980 - ) actress and model, she played in the 2008 Disaster Movie, she has Dutch, Scottish and Armenian roots.
• Eva LaRue, of Scottish, French, Dutch ancestry
• Taylor Lautner, American actor of German, French and Dutch descent.
• Jack Nicholson, (April 22, 1937), Hall of fame actor
• Leighton Meester, (April 9, 1986), actress, best known for her role as Blair Waldorf in Gossip Girl
• Jason Ritter
• John Ritter
• Rebecca Romijn (1972 - ) actress and former fashion model
• Thelma Schoonmaker, an Academy Award-winning film editor
• Jimmy Smits (1955 - ) Golden Globe and Emmy winning actor is half-Dutch, half Puerto Rican.
• Cobie Smulders, actress, of Dutch and English descent.
• Bruce Springsteen (1949 - ) singer, songwriter
• Mary Steenburgen (1953 - ) Hollywood film actress
• Steven Strait (1986 - ) Is of Dutch and Italian heritage - model, singer, and actor (Sky High)
• Taylor Swift, country singer
• Lou Tellegen (1881–1934) film actor
• Egbert Van Alstyne (1878–1951) songwriter and pianist
• Louis van Amstel, (1972 -) professional dancer, choreographer, and a dancesport coach
• Lee Van Cleef, (1925-1989) American film and television actor, well known for his roles in Westerns
• James Van Der Beek (1977 -) television and film actor, best known as Dawson from Dawson's Creek
• Anneliese van der Pol (1984 - ) television actress, perhaps best known for her role as Chelsea Daniels in the Disney Channel original comedy series, That's So Raven
• Heather Vandeven (1981-), model and Pet of the Year 2007
• Dick Van Dyke (1925 - ) famous television and film star and his brother, television actor Jerry Van Dyke (1931 - )
• Barry Van Dyke (1951-) actor and son of Dick Van Dike.
• Alex Van Halen (1953 - ) drummer and founding member of the hard rock band Van Halen
• Eddie Van Halen (1955 - ) guitarist and founding member of the hard rock band Van Halen
• Billy Van Zandt (1957- ) playwright, actor
• Philip Van Zandt (1904–1958), Broadway and Hollywood actor, played in Citizen Kane
• Townes Van Zandt (1944–1997) country-folk music singer-songwriter, performer, and poet.
• Donnie Van Zant (1952 - ) founder and singer of .38 Special
• Johnny Van Zant (1959 - ) lead singer of Lynyrd Skynyrd since 1987
• Ronnie Van Zant (1948–1977) lead singer of Lynyrd Skynyrd from 1970–1977
• Paul Verhoeven (1938 - ) film director
• Captain Beefheart (1941-2010), the stage name of musician and artist Don Van Vliet
• Donald Voorhees (1903–1989) composer and conductor
• Jan de Bont (1943 -) film director, producer and cinematographer
• Carel Struycken (1948 -) film actor
• Colonel Tom Parker (1909–1997) manager of Elvis Presley

Politics

• John Hickenlooper (1952–), Current Governor of Colorado
• Herman Knickerbocker (1779–1855), United States Representative from New York
• Eugene DeBruin (1933–?), USAF Sergeant; disappeared over Laos in 1968
• Harry DeBoer (1905–1991), Trotskyist trade union leader
• Dick DeVos (1955–), Republican candidate for governor of Michigan.
• Pete Hoekstra (1953–), Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Michigan
• Martin Kalbfleisch (1804–1873), United States Representative from New York
• Elizabeth Monroe (1768–1830), wife of James Monroe; of paternal English and maternal Dutch ancestry
• A. J. Muste (1885–1967), socialist active in the pacifist movement, labor movement and the US civil rights movement
• Franklin D. Roosevelt (1882–1945), Democratic President of the U.S.
• Theodore Roosevelt (1858–1919), Republican President of the U.S.
• Eleanor Roosevelt (1884–1962), wife of Franklin D. Roosevelt
• Albert Janse Ryckman (c. 1642–1737), Mayor of Albany, New York; Prominent Brewer; Captain in Albany Malitia
• Philip Schuyler (1733–1804) a general in the American Revolutionary War and a United States Senator from New York
• Peter Stuyvesant (1612–1672), Director-General of the colony of New Amsterdam (later New York)
• Martin Van Buren (1782–1862), Democratic President of the U.S.
• Arthur H. Vandenberg (1884–1951), Republican senator from Michigan
• Guy Vander Jagt (1931–2007), Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Michigan
• Peter Dumont Vroom (1791–1873), American Democratic Party politician
• Victor Vroom (1932), business school professor at the Yale School of Management
• Jacob Aaron Westervelt (1800–1879), renowned and prolific shipbuilder and Mayor of New York (1853–1855)

Military

• John L. DeWitt (1880–1962) U.S. four star general. During World War II.
• James Longstreet (1821–1904) Confederate Lieutenant-General in the American Civil War
• Peter Schoomaker (1946 - ) U.S. four star general. Former Chief of Staff of the United States Army
• Robert M. Shoemaker (1924 - ) U.S. four star general. During the Vietnam War
• David Petraeus (1952 - ) U.S. four star general. Commander in Iraq in 2007, his father is an immigrant from the Netherlands.
• James Van Fleet (1892–1992) U.S. four star general. Army General during World War II and the Korean War
• Isaac Van Wart (1759–1828) militiaman from the state of New York during the American Revolution. In 1780, he participated in the capture of Major John André
• Alexander Archer Vandegrift (1887–1973) US four star general. Medal of Honor. 18th Commandant US Marine Corps
• Hoyt Sanford Vandenberg (1899–1954) US four star general. During World War II. Second Chief of Staff US Air Force. Director Central Intelligence Agency
• Cortlandt Van Rensselaer Schuyler (1900–1993) US Army four star general. Served as Chief of Staff, Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe from 1953 to 1959.
• Philip John Schuyler (1733–1804) general in the American Revolution and US Senator from New York.
• Theodore Roosevelt, Jr. (1887–1944) US brigadier general. Medal of Honor. Fought in both world wars.
• Earl Van Dorn (1820–1863) Confederate general during the American Civil War.
• John Bell Hood (1831-1879) Confederate general during the AmericanCivil War.

Sciences

• Nicolaas Bloembergen (1920 - ) physicist
• Bart J. Bok (1906–1983), astronomer, director of Steward Observatory
• Dirk Brouwer (1902–1966) astronomer
• Samuel Abraham Goudsmit (1902–1978) physicist famous for jointly proposing the concept of electron spin with George Eugene Uhlenbeck
• Thomas Edison (1847–1931) inventor and businessman, his father was of Dutch decent.
• Anthony Heinsbergen (1894–1981) muralist considered the foremost designer of North American movie theatre interiors
• Harlan Kredit (1938 – ) award-winning science teacher and ecologist
• Arend Lijphart (1936 - ) world renowned political scientist
• Willem Jacob Luyten (1899–1994) astronomer
• Willem Johan Kolff (1911–2009), inventor of hemodialysis treatment
• Robert Moog (1934–2005) a pioneer of electronic music and inventor of the Moog synthesizer
• Gerard Peter Kuiper (1905–1973), astronomer
• Jan Schilt (1894–1982) Dutch born astronomer, inventor of the Schilt photometer, Rutherford Professor of Astronomy at Columbia University
• Maarten Schmidt (1929 - ) Dutch born astronomer who measured the distances of astronomical objects called quasars
• Hubert Schoemaker (1950–2006) chemist and biotechnological pioneer
• James Van Allen (1914–2006) astronomer for whom the Van Allen belt is named.
• Robert J. Van de Graaff (1901–1967) physicist, developed the Van de Graaff generator
• Peter van de Kamp (1901–1995) astronomer
• Lodewijk van den Berg (1932 - ) chemical engineer, payload specialist STS-51B Challenger
• Cornelius Vanderbilt (1794–1877), founder of Vanderbilt University
• Albert Vander Veer (1841–1929), surgeon

Sports

• David Aardsma (1981 - ) Major League Baseball player currently with the Seattle Mariners
• Bert Blyleven (1951 - ) Retired Major League Baseball player, born in the Netherlands
• Lenny Dykstra (1963 - ) award winning professional baseball player
• Matt Grevers (1985 - ) Olympic swimmer
• Shea Hillenbrand (1975 - ) Major League Baseball player currently with the Anaheim Angels
• Jim Kaat (1938 - ) former Major League Baseball pitcher, three-time All Star, 16-time Gold Glove winner, and television broadcaster.
• Arie Luyendyk (1953 - ) auto racing driver, twice winner of the Indianapolis 500.
• Mark Mulder (1977 - ) Major League Baseball player currently with the St.Louis Cardinals
• Jay Riemersma (1973 - ) former NFL player for the Buffalo Bills
• Bas Rutten (1965 - ) MMA fighter and color commentator
• Curt Schilling (1966 - ) Major League Baseball player currently with the Boston Red Sox
• Julia Smit (1987 - ) Olympic swimmer
• Ryan Sheckler (1989 - ) Skateboarder
• Rik Smits (1966 - ) former basketball player, played in the NBA for the Indiana Pacers
• Earnie Stewart (1969 - ) soccer player who was a regular midfielder for the U. S. national team from 1990s until his retirement in 2005
• Johnny Vander Meer (1914–1997) baseball player, the only pitcher in major league history to pitch two consecutive no-hitters
• John Vander Wal (1966 - ) Retired Major League Baseball player
• Jeff Van Gundy (1962 - ) former head coach of New York Knicks and Houston Rockets NBA teams
• Keith Van Horn (1975 - ) NBA player
• James Van Riemsdyk (1989 - ) 6'3, 211 lbs, left-shooting left wing for the Philadelphia Flyers
• Andy Van Slyke (1960 - ) Retired Major League Baseball player, first base coach for the Detroit Tigers
• Justin Verlander (1983 - ) Major League Baseball pitcher for the Detroit Tigers
• Kris Versteeg (1986 - ) Former Right Winger for the Chicago Blackhawks, recently traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs
• Tiger Woods (1975 - ) professional golfer

Journalism

• Anderson Cooper (1967–), CNN journalist, mother is Dutch-American socialite Gloria Vanderbilt
• Walter Cronkite (1916–2009), CBS Evening News journalist
• Greta Van Susteren (1954–), Fox News journalist

Theology

• Louis Berkhof (1873–1957) Reformed systematic theologian at Calvin Theological Seminary
• Hank Hanegraaff (? - ) Christian apologist and president of the Christian Research Institute
• Anthony A. Hoekema (1913–1988) Reformed systematic theologian at Calvin Theological Seminary
• Herman Hoeksema (1886–1965) pastor in the Christian Reformed Church and later in the Protestant Reformed Churches, Reformed systematic theologian at the Protestant Reformed Theological School
• Richard Mouw (? - ) Christian philosopher and apologist and president of Fuller Theological Seminary
• James Olthuis (? - ) inter-disciplinary scholar in ethics, hermeneutics, philosophical theology, as well as a theorist and practitioner of psychotherapy at the Institute for Christian Studies
• Alvin Plantinga (1932 - ) philosopher known for his work in epistemology, metaphysics, and the philosophy of religion
• Cornelius Plantinga president of Calvin Theological Seminary
• Albertus van Raalte (1811–1876), Calvinist preacher and leader of Dutch immigrants to Michigan
• Robert H. Schuller (1926 - ) televangelist and pastor known around the world through his weekly broadcast The Hour of Power
• Robert A. Schuller (1954 - ) televangelist and pastor of the Crystal Cathedral in Garden Grove, California, son of Robert H. Schuller
• Lewis B. Smedes (1921–2002) renowned Christian author, ethicist, and theologian at Fuller Theological Seminary
• Joseph Smith, Jr. (1805–1844), the founder of Mormonism
• Cornelius Van Til (1895–1987) Christian philosopher, Reformed theologian, and presuppositional apologist
• Geerhardus Vos (1888–1946) professor of Biblical Theology at Calvin Theological Seminary and at Princeton Theological Seminary

Fictional characters

• Fox Mulder, The X-Files
• Rex Van de Kamp, husband of Bree Van de Kamp of Desperate Housewives
• Serena van der Woodsen, one of the main cast members of Gossip Girl
• Goldmember, Austin Powers in Goldmember (2002)
• Abigail Van Buren - notable advice column founded in 1956 by Pauline Phillips under the pen name Abigail Van Buren
• Rip Van Winkle, main protagonist in Washington Irving's short story of the same name (1819)
• Jason Voorhees, character from the Friday the 13th series
• Traci van Horne, character from Hannah Montana
• Sinjin Van Cleef, character from Victorious
• Brittany Pierce, character from Glee
• Mona Vanderwaal, character from Pretty Little Liars
• Summer van Horne, character from Make It or Break It
• Milhouse Van Houten, The Simpsons

Others

• Jack Dangermond - ( - ), Founder of ESRI, a GIS (Geographic Information Systems) software company.
• Alfred Peet - (1920–2007), Founder of Peets' Coffee and Tea, credited with starting the gourmet coffee revolution in the United States.
• Kiliaen van Rensselaer (Dutch merchant) - (before 1596 – after 1642), founder and director of the Dutch West India Company and instrumental in the establishment of New Netherland.