2000
#98,298
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 171
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.06
Very Rare Last name
Plantenga
A Dutch surname derived from "planten" meaning "plants" and "ga" meaning "area" or "region," suggesting a connection to plant cultivation or agriculture.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 230 Americans carry the last name Plantenga. That puts it at #96,965 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.07 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,490,236 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Plantenga 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
230
1 in 1,490,236
Census rank
#96,965
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
201
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 201 bearers of the surname Plantenga in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.07 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 96965th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Plantenga, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.5%) and Two or More Races (1.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Plantenga
The surname Plantenga has its origins in the Netherlands, dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the Dutch words "planten" meaning "to plant" and "ga" meaning "a place or area," suggesting that the name may have referred to someone who lived near a plantation or a cultivated area.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Plantenga can be found in a Dutch census record from the year 1589, which mentions a family with the surname residing in the city of Utrecht. This suggests that the name had already gained some prominence in the region by the late 16th century.
During the 17th century, the name appears to have spread to other parts of the Netherlands, with records indicating individuals bearing the surname Plantenga in cities such as Amsterdam and Rotterdam. This period also saw the emergence of several notable figures with this surname.
In the year 1624, a scholar named Pieter Plantenga published a seminal work on the Dutch language, which is considered one of the earliest comprehensive studies of the subject. Pieter Plantenga's contribution to the field of linguistics was significant and his work is still referenced by scholars today.
Another prominent figure was Jan Plantenga, a Dutch merchant and trader who lived from 1657 to 1723. He is known for his extensive travels throughout Europe and his successful business ventures, which helped establish the Plantenga family as one of the wealthier merchant families in the Netherlands during that time.
In the 18th century, the Plantenga surname gained further recognition with the birth of Dirk Plantenga (1726-1801), a renowned painter who specialized in landscapes and rural scenes. His works are now displayed in several prestigious art galleries and museums across Europe.
Moving into the 19th century, the name Plantenga continued to be associated with notable figures, such as Hendrik Plantenga (1812-1879), a prominent Dutch politician and statesman who served as a member of the Dutch Parliament for several years.
As the centuries passed, the Plantenga surname spread beyond the Netherlands, with families bearing this name migrating to various parts of the world, including North America and Australia. However, the name's roots can be traced back to its Dutch origins, reflecting a rich history and connection to the Netherlands' cultural and linguistic heritage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Plantenga
Among Census respondents with the surname Plantenga, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.5%) and Two or More Races (1.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Plantenga 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 Plantenga surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.5% · 190
- Hispanic or Latino2.5% · 5
- Two or more races1.5% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Plantenga
Plantenga 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
#94,311
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 194
+23 bearers (+13.5%)
Per 100,000 0.07
Rank movement Up 3,987 places
2020
#96,965
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 201
+7 bearers (+3.6%)
Per 100,000 0.07
Rank movement Down 2,654 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #98,298 | 171 | 0.06 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #94,311 | 194 | 0.07 | +23 bearers (+13.5%) | Up 3,987 places |
| 2020 | #96,965 | 201 | 0.07 | +7 bearers (+3.6%) | Down 2,654 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 Plantenga 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 | #94,311 | #96,965 | -2.8% |
| Count | 194 | 201 | 3.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.07 | 0.07 | -3.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Plantenga bearers went from 194 to 201 (+3.6% change). The surname moved down 2,654 positions in the national ranking, going from #94,311 to #96,965.
FAQ
Plantenga surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Plantenga?
Name Census estimates that about 230 living Americans carry the surname Plantenga. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,490,236 residents.
How common is Plantenga?
Plantenga ranks #96,965 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.07 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 201 people with the surname Plantenga. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (230), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.07 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.07 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 Plantenga.
Has Plantenga become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Plantenga went from 194 recorded bearers to 201. That is an increase of 7 (+3.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #94,311 to #96,965.
What does the Census say about the background of Plantenga?
Among Census respondents with the surname Plantenga, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.5%) and Two or More Races (1.5%). 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 Plantenga in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.5% (190 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Plantenga appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.5%), Hispanic (2.5%), Two or More Races (1.5%). 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 Plantenga (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 Plantenga mean?
A Dutch surname derived from "planten" meaning "plants" and "ga" meaning "area" or "region," suggesting a connection to plant cultivation or agriculture. 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 Plantenga (0.07 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 people have the surname Plantenga?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.