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

Dykema, 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 Dykema surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Dykema in America

Dykema is the 17682nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Dykema surname appeared 1,587 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Dykema.

We can also compare 2010 data for Dykema 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 Dykema

The surname Dykema is of Dutch origin, deriving from the region of West Friesland in the Netherlands. It emerged in the 16th century as a topographic surname, referring to someone who lived near a dike or embankment. The root word "dijk" in Dutch means "dike" or "embankment," while the suffix "-ema" or "-ma" denotes a location or residence.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Dykema can be found in the 1585 census of Enkhuizen, a city in West Friesland. This record lists a Pieter Dykema, who likely resided near a dike or embankment in the area. Similar spellings from this period include Dijkema, Dijkama, and Dijckema, reflecting regional variations in pronunciation and spelling conventions.

The name Dykema is closely tied to the history of land reclamation and water management in the Netherlands, where dikes played a crucial role in protecting low-lying areas from flooding. As such, it is possible that some early bearers of the name were involved in the construction or maintenance of dikes and embankments.

In the 17th century, the name Dykema appears in various Dutch records, including the 1674 baptismal register of the Reformed Church in Amsterdam, which mentions the birth of a child to Dirck Dykema and his wife, Grietje Jans. Another notable individual from this period is Adriaan Dykema, a merchant and ship owner from Enkhuizen, who was born in 1652 and played a role in the Dutch East India Company's trade with the East Indies.

In the 18th century, the name Dykema gained prominence with the birth of Arend Dykema (1718-1789), a renowned Dutch painter and engraver known for his landscapes and cityscapes. His works can be found in several museums, including the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam.

As the Dutch colonized parts of North America, particularly the area that would become New York, the name Dykema was introduced to the New World. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name in America is Gerrit Dykema, who was born in 1782 in Leeuwarden, Friesland, and later settled in New York.

Throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, the Dykema name continued to be prevalent in the Netherlands and among Dutch communities in North America. Notable individuals with this surname include Hendrik Dykema (1824-1904), a Dutch-American politician and lawyer who served as the Mayor of Grand Rapids, Michigan; Pieter Dykema (1878-1952), a Dutch politician and journalist; and Govert Dykema (1882-1953), a Dutch artist and illustrator known for his book illustrations and caricatures.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Dykema

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

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

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

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