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

Postma, 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 Postma surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Postma in America

Postma is the 13300th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Postma surname appeared 2,293 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Postma.

We can also compare 2010 data for Postma 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 Postma

The surname Postma is of Dutch origin and is believed to have originated in the Netherlands during the 16th century. It is derived from the Dutch word "post," which means "station" or "position," and the suffix "-ma," which is a patronymic suffix indicating "son of." Thus, the name Postma likely referred to the son of someone who lived near or worked at a postal station or a particular location along a route.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Postma can be found in the Dutch city of Leeuwarden, in the province of Friesland, where a man named Pieter Postma was listed in the city's records in 1589. It is believed that the name may have originated in this region, as the Frisian language is closely related to Dutch and shares similar naming conventions.

During the 17th and 18th centuries, the Postma name gained prominence in various parts of the Netherlands, particularly in the provinces of Friesland, Groningen, and Drenthe. Several notable individuals bore this surname during this period, including Eelke Postma (1632-1704), a renowned Dutch mathematician and astronomer, and Jacobus Postma (1683-1749), a prominent Dutch painter known for his landscape and seascape paintings.

In the 19th century, the Postma name spread beyond the Netherlands due to Dutch immigration and colonization efforts. One notable figure with this surname was Joannes Albertus Postma (1818-1892), a Dutch Reformed Church minister who played a significant role in establishing the Dutch Reformed Church in South Africa.

Another prominent individual with the Postma surname was Arend Postma (1870-1939), a Dutch politician and lawyer who served as a member of the Dutch Parliament and was instrumental in the development of labor laws and social welfare policies in the Netherlands.

Towards the latter part of the 19th century and into the 20th century, the Postma name continued to be found in various parts of Europe and beyond, as Dutch emigrants settled in countries like the United States, Canada, and Australia. One notable example is Hessel Postma (1898-1967), a Dutch-American physicist who made significant contributions to the field of statistical mechanics and thermodynamics.

Throughout its history, the surname Postma has been associated with a variety of professions and achievements, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and contributions of those who have carried this name. While the name may have originated from a specific geographic location or occupation, it has since transcended its roots and become a part of the rich tapestry of surnames found across the globe.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Postma

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

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

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

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