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

Bruursema, 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 Bruursema surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Bruursema in America

Bruursema is the 95545th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Bruursema surname appeared 191 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 Bruursema.

We can also compare 2010 data for Bruursema 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 Bruursema

The surname BRUURSEMA originated in the Netherlands during the medieval period. It is believed to be derived from the Dutch words "bruur" meaning "brother" and "sema" meaning "meadow" or "pasture." This suggests that the name may have been given to someone who lived or worked on a meadow or pasture belonging to a monastery or religious order.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname BRUURSEMA can be found in the archives of the city of Groningen, where a person by the name of Geert Bruursema is mentioned in a document dated 1423. It is possible that this individual or their ancestors were among the first to bear the surname.

In the 15th century, the name BRUURSEMA appears in several records from the province of Friesland, particularly in the areas around the towns of Leeuwarden and Sneek. This suggests that the name may have been more prevalent in this region during that time.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, as the Netherlands experienced a period of economic and cultural growth, the BRUURSEMA surname began to spread across other parts of the country. One notable individual from this era was Pieter Bruursema, a merchant and ship owner from Amsterdam who lived from 1587 to 1649.

In the 18th century, a branch of the BRUURSEMA family settled in the town of Zwolle, where they became prominent landowners and businessmen. One of the most famous members of this branch was Joost Bruursema (1714-1793), who served as the mayor of Zwolle from 1765 to 1780.

Other noteworthy individuals with the surname BRUURSEMA include Willem Bruursema (1846-1912), a Dutch painter known for his landscapes and seascapes, and Gerrit Bruursema (1867-1942), a politician and member of the Dutch Parliament in the early 20th century.

While the BRUURSEMA surname is relatively uncommon outside of the Netherlands, it has been carried by individuals from various walks of life throughout history, from merchants and artists to politicians and landowners.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Bruursema

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

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

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

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