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

Pieterse, 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 Pieterse surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Pieterse in America

Pieterse is the 98553rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Pieterse surname appeared 184 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 Pieterse.

We can also compare 2010 data for Pieterse 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 Pieterse

The surname Pieterse originated in the Netherlands and is a Dutch patronymic name, meaning "son of Pieter." The name Pieter is derived from the Greek name Petros, meaning "rock" or "stone." The Pieterse surname likely emerged in the 12th or 13th century when surnames became more common in the Netherlands.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Pieterse surname can be found in the records of the city of Leiden, where a Jan Pieterse is mentioned in the year 1389. This suggests that the name was already well-established in the region by the late 14th century.

In the 16th century, a notable figure bearing the Pieterse surname was Dirck Pieterse, a Dutch painter and engraver who lived from around 1540 to 1603. He is particularly known for his portraits and religious works, some of which can still be found in museums in the Netherlands and abroad.

Another significant individual was Pieter Pieterse Evertsen, a Dutch naval officer and admiral who lived from 1610 to 1670. He played a crucial role in several naval battles during the Anglo-Dutch Wars and is considered a hero in Dutch naval history.

During the Dutch Golden Age, in the 17th century, a prominent figure was Gerard Pieterse Hulft, a wealthy merchant and investor who lived from 1619 to 1689. He was involved in the Dutch East India Company and was a significant contributor to the economic prosperity of the Netherlands during that period.

In the 18th century, Jan Pieterse Zomer, born in 1741 and died in 1826, was a notable Dutch painter known for his landscapes and marine scenes. His works are still highly regarded and can be found in various art collections across Europe.

As the Dutch Empire expanded and Dutch settlers emigrated to other parts of the world, the Pieterse surname also spread to other countries. However, it remains predominantly concentrated in the Netherlands and among Dutch diaspora communities around the globe.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Pieterse

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

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

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

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