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

Feenstra, 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 Feenstra surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Feenstra in America

Feenstra is the 23019th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Feenstra surname appeared 1,110 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 Feenstra.

We can also compare 2010 data for Feenstra 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 Feenstra

The surname Feenstra originated in the Netherlands, specifically in the province of Friesland. It likely dates back to the 16th or 17th century. The name is derived from the Dutch words "feen" meaning "peat" and "stra" meaning "road" or "path." Together, Feenstra translates to "peat road," suggesting the name may have referred to someone who lived near a peat road or worked in the peat industry.

The earliest recorded instances of the Feenstra name appear in Dutch church records and municipal archives from the 1600s and 1700s. Many of these records are found in the cities and towns of Friesland, such as Leeuwarden, Dokkum, and Harlingen.

In the late 17th century, a merchant named Tjerk Feenstra (1651-1722) was a prominent figure in the city of Leeuwarden. He was a successful trader and held various civic positions within the city government.

During the 18th century, the Feenstra name can be found in several Dutch literary works and historical accounts. One notable individual was Pieter Feenstra (1725-1793), a scholar and author who wrote extensively on Dutch language and literature.

In the 19th century, Wybe Feenstra (1819-1895) was a respected theologian and pastor in the Dutch Reformed Church. He served as a minister in several parishes throughout Friesland and published numerous religious works.

Another prominent figure was Klaas Feenstra (1871-1945), a Dutch politician who served as a member of the House of Representatives from 1913 to 1937. He was a member of the Christian Historical Union party and advocated for social and economic reforms.

Moving into the 20th century, Jelle Feenstra (1908-1988) was a successful businessman and entrepreneur. He founded the Feenstra Group, a company that specialized in transportation and logistics services, which grew to become one of the largest companies in the Netherlands.

While the Feenstra name has its roots in the Netherlands, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly through Dutch emigration to North America and other regions. However, the majority of historical references and notable individuals with this surname can be traced back to the Netherlands and the Frisian region in particular.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Feenstra

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

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

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

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