Reemtsma last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Reemtsma

A surname of Dutch origin meaning "strap-maker" or "harness-maker".

Reemtsma, 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 Reemtsma surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Reemtsma in America

Reemtsma is the 159712th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Reemtsma surname appeared 101 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 Reemtsma.

The history of the last name Reemtsma

The surname Reemtsma is of German origin, with roots dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to have originated from the Lower Saxony region of northern Germany, specifically in the areas surrounding the city of Bremen.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the German parish records from the late 1500s, where it was often spelled as "Reemtsma" or the slightly varied "Reemtsmaa." These spellings are thought to have derived from an old Low German word meaning "ribbon maker" or "weaver of ribbons," suggesting that the family's earliest ancestors may have been involved in the textile trade.

In the 17th century, the Reemtsma name appears in several historical documents and records from the Hanseatic city of Bremen. One notable mention is in the city's trade guild records from the year 1638, where a Johann Reemtsma is listed as a member of the weavers' guild.

As the centuries progressed, the Reemtsma family dispersed throughout various regions of Germany, with some members finding success in various trades and professions. One of the most prominent individuals bearing the name was Philipp Reemtsma (1892-1959), a German businessman and industrialist who founded the renowned Reemtsma cigarette company in the early 20th century.

Other notable figures with the Reemtsma surname include:

  1. Bernd Reemtsma (1923-1996), a German author and intellectual who was the son of Philipp Reemtsma.
  2. Jan Philipp Reemtsma (born 1952), a German literary scholar and professor, as well as the founder of the Arno Schmidt Foundation and the Jan Philipp Reemtsma Foundation.
  3. Greta Reemtsma (1891-1972), a German artist and painter known for her landscape and portrait works.
  4. Heinrich Reemtsma (1878-1957), a German architect and civil engineer who designed several notable buildings in Hamburg during the early 20th century.
  5. Rupert Reemtsma (1915-1996), a German entrepreneur and heir to the Reemtsma tobacco empire, who was famously kidnapped and held for ransom in the 1970s.

While the Reemtsma name may have humble beginnings as a designation for ribbon weavers, it has since become associated with various successful individuals and family lineages across Germany, leaving an indelible mark on the country's history and cultural landscape.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Reemtsma

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

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 Reemtsma was:

Race/EthnicityPercentageTotal Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only98.02%99
Non-Hispanic Black Only0.00%0
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only(S)%(S)
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native(S)%(S)
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races0.00%0
Hispanic Origin0.00%0

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.

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

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

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