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

Jellema, 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 Jellema surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Jellema in America

Jellema is the 85659th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Jellema surname appeared 218 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 Jellema.

We can also compare 2010 data for Jellema 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 Jellema

The surname Jellema is of Dutch origin, originating in the Netherlands during the Middle Ages. It is believed to have derived from the Dutch word "jel," meaning "muddy" or "marshy," and the suffix "-ema," which is a locational indicator. This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived near or worked in a marshy area.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Jellema can be found in the 16th century Dutch census records of the province of Friesland. The name was particularly prevalent in the northern regions of the Netherlands, including the towns of Leeuwarden and Dokkum.

In the 17th century, the name Jellema appeared in the church records of the city of Groningen, indicating the presence of this surname in the area during that time period. A notable individual bearing this name was Pieter Jellema (1620-1693), a wealthy merchant and landowner from the town of Appingedam.

During the 18th century, the surname Jellema started to spread beyond the Netherlands as Dutch settlers and traders immigrated to other parts of the world. For example, there are records of individuals with this surname residing in the Dutch East Indies (present-day Indonesia) during this period.

One of the most prominent individuals with the surname Jellema was Sjoerd Jellema (1809-1879), a Dutch politician and jurist who served as the Governor of the province of Friesland from 1865 to 1879. Another notable figure was Jan Jellema (1864-1942), a Dutch architect and urban planner who designed several notable buildings in the city of Amsterdam.

In the 19th century, the surname Jellema also made its way to North America through Dutch immigration. One of the earliest recorded instances of this name in the United States was Hendrik Jellema (1825-1901), a farmer who settled in the state of Michigan in the 1850s.

While the surname Jellema is not among the most common Dutch surnames, it has a rich history and has been carried by individuals from various walks of life throughout the centuries. The name's origins can be traced back to the marshy landscapes of the Netherlands, a testament to the country's unique geography and the naming traditions of its people.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Jellema

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

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

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

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