2000
#142,819
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Gortsema
A Dutch surname derived from the words "gort" (groats) and "sema" (sieve), referring to an occupation involving grain sifting or milling.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 116 Americans carry the last name Gortsema. That puts it at #155,270 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,954,779 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gortsema surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
116
1 in 2,954,779
Census rank
#155,270
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
101
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 101 bearers of the surname Gortsema in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 155270th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gortsema, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gortsema
The surname GORTSEMA is of Dutch origin and can be traced back to the 16th century. It is believed to have originated in the province of Friesland, located in the northern part of the Netherlands. The name is thought to be derived from the Old Frisian words "gortse" and "ma," which collectively translate to "small pasture" or "small meadow."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the GORTSEMA surname can be found in the Frisian land registry of 1568, where a farmer named Sytse Gortsema was listed as a landowner in the village of Wommels. This suggests that the name was already well-established in the region at that time.
During the 17th and 18th centuries, the GORTSEMA name appeared in various church records and legal documents throughout Friesland. Notable individuals from this period include Jelle Gortsema (1642-1712), a prominent merchant and alderman in the city of Leeuwarden, and Antje Gortsema (1718-1789), a celebrated poet and playwright whose works contributed to the preservation of the Frisian language and culture.
In the 19th century, the GORTSEMA surname began to spread beyond the borders of Friesland as members of the family migrated to other parts of the Netherlands and even abroad. One such example is Pieter Gortsema (1823-1901), a Dutch engineer and inventor who played a pivotal role in the development of early telegraph systems.
Another notable figure was Sjoerd Gortsema (1879-1956), a Frisian nationalist and politician who campaigned tirelessly for greater recognition and autonomy for the Frisian people. His efforts were instrumental in securing official status for the Frisian language and promoting its use in education and government.
In the 20th century, the GORTSEMA name continued to be represented in various fields, including academia and the arts. Notably, Gerben Gortsema (1912-1995) was a renowned Frisian writer and poet whose works explored themes of identity, tradition, and the complexities of modern life.
Throughout its history, the GORTSEMA surname has maintained a strong connection to its Frisian roots, with many bearers of the name taking pride in their heritage and contributing to the preservation of the region's unique culture and traditions.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gortsema
Among Census respondents with the surname Gortsema, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Gortsema bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Gortsema surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.1% · 93
- Hispanic or Latino6.9% · 7
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gortsema
Gortsema appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#146,201
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
+6 bearers (+5.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 3,382 places
2020
#155,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101
-12 bearers (-10.6%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 9,069 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #142,819 | 107 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #146,201 | 113 | 0.04 | +6 bearers (+5.6%) | Down 3,382 places |
| 2020 | #155,270 | 101 | 0.03 | -12 bearers (-10.6%) | Down 9,069 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Gortsema surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #146,201 | #155,270 | -6.2% |
| Count | 113 | 101 | -10.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -15.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gortsema bearers went from 113 to 101 (-10.6% change). The surname moved down 9,069 positions in the national ranking, going from #146,201 to #155,270.
FAQ
Gortsema surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gortsema?
Name Census estimates that about 116 living Americans carry the surname Gortsema. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,954,779 residents.
How common is Gortsema?
Gortsema ranks #155,270 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 101 people with the surname Gortsema. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (116), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Gortsema.
Has Gortsema become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gortsema went from 113 recorded bearers to 101. That is a decrease of 12 (-10.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #146,201 to #155,270.
What does the Census say about the background of Gortsema?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gortsema, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Gortsema in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.1% (93 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gortsema appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.1%), Hispanic (6.9%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Gortsema (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Gortsema mean?
A Dutch surname derived from the words "gort" (groats) and "sema" (sieve), referring to an occupation involving grain sifting or milling. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Gortsema (0.03 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many Americans have the surname Gortsema?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.