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

Posthumus, 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 Posthumus surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Posthumus in America

Posthumus is the 44808th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Posthumus surname appeared 479 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 Posthumus.

We can also compare 2010 data for Posthumus 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 Posthumus

The surname Posthumus originated in ancient Rome, derived from the Latin word "postumus," which means "born after the death of the father." It was initially used as a personal name or cognomen among the Roman elite families to differentiate children born after their father's death.

In the early days of Rome, the Posthumus name was associated with several notable historical figures, including Publius Cornelius Scipio Africanus Posthumus, a Roman consul and military commander who lived in the 3rd century BC. Another early example is Quintus Mucius Scaevola Posthumus, a Roman jurist and consul in the 2nd century BC.

The name Posthumus appeared in various ancient Roman records and manuscripts, such as the writings of Livy, Cicero, and Suetonius. It was also found in inscriptions and epitaphs on Roman tombstones, indicating its widespread use during the Roman Empire.

After the fall of Rome, the name Posthumus continued to be used throughout Europe, often in its Latinized form or adapted to local languages. In medieval England, the name appeared in the Domesday Book of 1086 as "Posthumus" and "Postume," suggesting its presence among the Norman nobility.

One notable historical figure with the surname Posthumus was Jacob Posthumus (1583-1624), a Dutch Golden Age painter known for his still-life and genre paintings. Another was Gerardus Posthumus (1512-1568), a Dutch Protestant Reformer and theologian who played a significant role in the Reformation in the Low Countries.

During the Renaissance period, the surname Posthumus was found in various parts of Europe. Jacobus Posthumus (1609-1670) was a Dutch philosopher and mathematician, while Hendrik Posthumus (1616-1668) was a Dutch Golden Age painter known for his landscapes and seascapes.

In the 18th century, Johann Friedrich Posthumus (1714-1801) was a German philosopher and theologian who made notable contributions to the field of aesthetics. In the 19th century, Nicolaas Posthumus (1880-1960) was a Dutch historian and economist who specialized in economic and social history.

Throughout its long history, the surname Posthumus has been associated with scholars, artists, and individuals from various walks of life, reflecting its origins as a distinguished Roman name bestowed upon children born after their father's death.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Posthumus

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

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

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

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