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

Bultema, 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 Bultema surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Bultema in America

Bultema is the 41303rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Bultema surname appeared 527 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 Bultema.

We can also compare 2010 data for Bultema 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 Bultema

The surname Bultema has its origins in the Netherlands, dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the Dutch word "bult," meaning a bulge or hump, and the suffix "-ema," indicating a diminutive form. This suggests that the name may have been initially used to refer to someone with a physical characteristic or perhaps as a nickname.

The earliest known record of the name Bultema can be found in the Dutch municipal archives of the city of Groningen, where a certain Jan Bultema was mentioned in a document dated 1592. This provides evidence that the name was already in use during the late 16th century in the northern region of the Netherlands.

Throughout the 17th and 18th centuries, the Bultema family seemed to have established roots in various parts of the Netherlands, particularly in the provinces of Groningen, Friesland, and Drenthe. Some notable individuals bearing this surname from that era include Pieter Bultema (1640-1712), a prominent merchant and alderman in the city of Leeuwarden, and Hendrik Bultema (1718-1792), a respected lawyer and judge in Groningen.

As the Dutch Empire expanded its colonial reach, the Bultema name also found its way to other parts of the world. One such example is Johannes Bultema (1789-1863), a Dutch colonial administrator who served as the Governor of Suriname, a former Dutch colony in South America, from 1834 to 1837.

In the 19th century, several individuals with the Bultema surname made their mark in various fields. Jacobus Bultema (1816-1890) was a renowned Dutch theologian and professor at the University of Groningen, while Sybrandus Bultema (1837-1912) was a prominent politician and member of the Dutch parliament.

Another noteworthy figure was Tjitse Bultema (1864-1941), a Dutch writer and poet who gained recognition for his works in the Frisian language. His contemporaries included Hendrik Bultema (1871-1946), a respected architect known for designing several notable buildings in the Netherlands.

While the name Bultema may not be among the most common surnames globally, it has left its mark throughout history, with individuals from various walks of life contributing to their respective fields and communities over the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Bultema

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

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

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

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