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

Bleeker, 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 Bleeker surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Bleeker in America

Bleeker is the 23167th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Bleeker surname appeared 1,101 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 Bleeker.

We can also compare 2010 data for Bleeker 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 Bleeker

The surname Bleeker originated in the Low Countries, which includes modern-day Netherlands, Belgium, and parts of northern France. It emerged in the 14th century and is derived from the Dutch word "bleek," meaning "bleaching ground" or "place where fabric or linen was laid out to be bleached by the sun."

The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in Dutch records and manuscripts from the late Middle Ages. For example, the name appears in the Leiden municipal archives from the year 1385, referring to a person named Arnoud die Bleeker.

The name Bleeker is closely tied to the occupational history of textile production and bleaching in the Low Countries. In medieval times, bleaching grounds were essential for the production of high-quality linen and fabrics, and the Bleeker surname likely referred to individuals who worked in this industry.

One of the earliest notable figures with the surname Bleeker was Jan Bleeker, a Dutch artist born in Rotterdam in 1642. He was renowned for his still-life paintings and landscapes, and his works can be found in several museums across the Netherlands.

In the 18th century, a prominent Dutch naturalist named Pieter Bleeker was born in 1819. He made significant contributions to the study of ichthyology (the study of fish) and published numerous works on the subject, including the "Atlas Ichthyologique des Indes Orientales Néerlandaises."

Another noteworthy individual with the Bleeker surname was Willem Bleeker, a Dutch politician and jurist who lived from 1835 to 1900. He served as the Minister of Justice in the Netherlands from 1891 to 1897.

The name Bleeker also has a connection to the city of Leiden in the Netherlands. The Blekersbrug (Bleachers' Bridge) and the Blekerslaan (Bleachers' Lane) in Leiden are named after the historical presence of bleaching grounds in the area.

In the United States, one of the earliest recorded instances of the Bleeker surname can be found in the New York City area, where Dutch settlers brought the name in the 17th century. Bleecker Street in Manhattan is named after the Bleecker family, who were among the earliest Dutch settlers in the region.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Bleeker

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

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 Bleeker 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 Bleeker 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 Bleeker was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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