2010
#146,201
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Kampstra
A Dutch habitational surname referring to someone from a kamp (field) or kampstra (field with trees).
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 123 Americans carry the last name Kampstra. That puts it at #151,639 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,786,621 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kampstra 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
123
1 in 2,786,621
Census rank
#151,639
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
107
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 107 bearers of the surname Kampstra in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 151639th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kampstra, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.9%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kampstra
The surname Kampstra originates from the Netherlands, specifically the province of Friesland, dating back to the 16th century. It is derived from the Old Frisian word "kampe," meaning "small field" or "meadow," combined with the suffix "-stra," which signifies a place or location. The name likely referred to someone who lived near or owned a small field or meadow.
One of the earliest documented instances of the Kampstra surname can be found in the Frisian municipal records from the late 1500s, where it was spelled "Kampstra" or "Kampstra." This suggests that the name had already been established in the region by that time.
In the 17th century, the Kampstra name appeared in various records related to land ownership and taxation in the Frisian countryside. For instance, a farmer named Sjoerd Kampstra was listed as a landowner in the village of Wolvega in 1628.
During the 18th century, the name Kampstra became more widespread across Friesland and neighboring provinces. Notable individuals from this period include Pieter Kampstra (1702-1778), a renowned scholar and theologian who served as a professor at the University of Franeker.
In the 19th century, the Kampstra surname gained further recognition with the birth of Dirk Kampstra (1848-1925), a prominent Dutch politician and lawyer who served as a member of the House of Representatives and played a key role in the formation of the Christian Historical Union party.
Another notable figure was Tjeerd Kampstra (1895-1972), a Frisian author and poet who wrote extensively about rural life and the Frisian language. His literary works, such as "De Spiegel" (The Mirror) and "Fjouwer Gedichten" (Four Poems), are considered significant contributions to Frisian literature.
Throughout history, the Kampstra surname has maintained its roots in the northern Netherlands, particularly in the provinces of Friesland, Groningen, and Drenthe. While the name has been documented in various historical records, it has remained relatively localized in these regions, reflecting its origins as a place-based surname.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kampstra
Among Census respondents with the surname Kampstra, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.9%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Kampstra 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 Kampstra surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.5% · 100
- Hispanic or Latino1.9% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.9% · 2
- Two or more races1.9% · 2
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kampstra
Kampstra appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#151,639
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
-6 bearers (-5.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 5,438 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #146,201 | 113 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #151,639 | 107 | 0.04 | -6 bearers (-5.3%) | Down 5,438 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 Kampstra 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 | #151,639 | -3.7% |
| Count | 113 | 107 | -5.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -10.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kampstra bearers went from 113 to 107 (-5.3% change). The surname moved down 5,438 positions in the national ranking, going from #146,201 to #151,639.
FAQ
Kampstra surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kampstra?
Name Census estimates that about 123 living Americans carry the surname Kampstra. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,786,621 residents.
How common is Kampstra?
Kampstra ranks #151,639 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 107 people with the surname Kampstra. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (123), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Kampstra.
Has Kampstra become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kampstra went from 113 recorded bearers to 107. That is a decrease of 6 (-5.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #146,201 to #151,639.
What does the Census say about the background of Kampstra?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kampstra, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.9%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.9%). 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 Kampstra in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.5% (100 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kampstra appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.5%), Hispanic (1.9%), American Indian/Alaska Native (1.9%). 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 Kampstra (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 Kampstra mean?
A Dutch habitational surname referring to someone from a kamp (field) or kampstra (field with trees). 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 Kampstra (0.04 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 common is the surname Kampstra?
Want to know how common the surname Kampstra is? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.