Find out how popular the last name Bandstra is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Bandstra.

Bandstra, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Bandstra surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Bandstra in America

Bandstra is the 49824th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Bandstra surname appeared 421 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Bandstra.

We can also compare 2010 data for Bandstra to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Bandstra

The surname Bandstra has its origins in the Netherlands, emerging during the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Dutch word "band," which translates to "bond" or "tie," combined with the suffix "-stra," indicating a place of origin or a location. This suggests that the name may have originated from a specific place characterized by bonds or ties, perhaps referring to a settlement near a river or a fortified area.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Bandstra surname can be found in the Utrecht Archives, dating back to the 15th century. These archives contain records of individuals bearing variations of the name, such as "Bandstrae" and "Bandstrada," suggesting its evolution over time.

During the 16th century, the Bandstra surname appears in several historical documents, including land records and church registers. Notably, the name is mentioned in the Leiden parish registers from 1575, where a certain Pieter Bandstra is listed as a resident of the city.

In the 17th century, the Bandstra surname gained prominence, particularly in the northern provinces of the Netherlands. Records from this era indicate that the name was associated with various professions, including merchants, artisans, and landowners. One notable figure from this period was Jacobus Bandstra (1630-1691), a renowned Dutch painter known for his landscapes and seascapes.

As the Dutch expanded their global reach through exploration and trade, the Bandstra surname spread to other parts of the world. In the 18th century, records show Bandstra families settling in the Dutch East Indies (modern-day Indonesia) and the Cape Colony (present-day South Africa). A prominent individual from this era was Hendrik Bandstra (1715-1783), a Dutch merchant and explorer who established trading routes in the East Indies.

The 19th century saw the Bandstra surname gain a foothold in North America, as Dutch immigrants sought new opportunities in the United States and Canada. One notable figure from this period was Willem Bandstra (1845-1912), a Dutch-American farmer and community leader who played a significant role in the settlement of the Dutch communities in Michigan.

Throughout its history, the Bandstra surname has been associated with various locations and place names, such as Bandstrahuizen, a village in the province of Friesland, Netherlands, and Bandstradorp, a former hamlet in the province of Overijssel, Netherlands.

Other notable individuals with the Bandstra surname include Johannes Bandstra (1880-1957), a Dutch theologian and professor at the University of Amsterdam, and Tijs Bandstra (1924-2003), a Dutch writer and journalist known for his works on World War II.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Bandstra

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Bandstra.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Bandstra was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Bandstra has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Bandstra was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Bandstra, please contact us.

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