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

Reitsma, 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 Reitsma surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Reitsma in America

Reitsma is the 32365th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Reitsma surname appeared 711 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 Reitsma.

We can also compare 2010 data for Reitsma 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 Reitsma

The surname Reitsma originates from the Friesland province of the Netherlands, dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to be derived from the Frisian word "reedtsje," which means "to travel" or "to journey." This suggests that the name may have been given to individuals who traveled frequently or were involved in transportation-related occupations.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Reitsma surname can be found in the Frisian village of Blessum, where a man named Reinier Reitsma was born in 1595. He was a farmer and landowner, and his family's name is documented in local records from that time period.

Another notable Reitsma from the 17th century was Jacobus Reitsma, a Dutch theologian and academic who lived from 1612 to 1677. He served as a professor of theology at the University of Groningen and authored several influential works on religious subjects.

During the 18th century, the Reitsma surname began to spread beyond the Friesland region. In 1723, a man named Gerrit Reitsma was born in the city of Amsterdam. He became a successful merchant and was involved in the Dutch East India Company's trade operations.

One of the most famous individuals with the Reitsma surname was Edzard Reitsma, a Dutch politician and diplomat who lived from 1828 to 1916. He served as the Minister of Finance for the Netherlands from 1877 to 1879 and played a significant role in shaping the country's economic policies during that period.

In the 20th century, the Reitsma name gained recognition through the work of Siep Reitsma, a Dutch cyclist who competed in the Tour de France and other major cycling events. He was born in 1909 and is considered one of the most accomplished Dutch cyclists of his era.

While the Reitsma surname originated in the Netherlands, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and cultural exchange. However, its roots can be traced back to the Frisian region, where it has a rich history spanning several centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Reitsma

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

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

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

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