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

Ritsema, 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 Ritsema surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Ritsema in America

Ritsema is the 29693rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Ritsema surname appeared 793 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 Ritsema.

We can also compare 2010 data for Ritsema 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 Ritsema

The surname Ritsema originated in the Netherlands, specifically in the province of Friesland. It is believed to have emerged around the 16th or 17th century. The name is derived from the Frisian word "ritsemai," which refers to a person who lived near a reed marsh or fen.

Ritsema is a topographic surname, indicating that the original bearers of this name resided near a particular landscape feature, in this case, a reed marsh. In the early days, surnames often originated from descriptive words related to an individual's occupation, physical characteristics, or place of residence.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Ritsema surname can be found in the records of the city of Leeuwarden, the capital of Friesland, dating back to the late 16th century. The name appears in various spellings, such as Ritzema, Ritsma, and Rijtsma, reflecting the regional variations in pronunciation and spelling at the time.

In the 17th century, a notable figure with the surname Ritsema was Pieter Ritsema (1634-1701), a Dutch Golden Age painter from Leeuwarden. He was known for his still-life paintings and portraits, and his works can be found in museums across the Netherlands.

Another prominent individual with this surname was Arent Ritsema (1817-1892), a Dutch politician who served as the Minister of Finance in the Netherlands from 1877 to 1879. He was also a member of the House of Representatives and played a significant role in shaping the country's financial policies during his tenure.

In the 19th century, Johannes Ritsema (1835-1912) was a Dutch linguist and scholar who specialized in the study of the Frisian language. He published several works on Frisian grammar and literature, contributing greatly to the preservation and promotion of the Frisian cultural heritage.

Moving into the 20th century, Gerrit Ritsema (1909-1994) was a Dutch politician and diplomat who served as the Ambassador of the Netherlands to the United States from 1973 to 1978. He played a crucial role in strengthening the diplomatic ties between the two countries during a period of significant global events.

Furthermore, Bauke Ritsema (1919-2003) was a Dutch resistance fighter during World War II. He was part of the underground resistance movement against the Nazi occupation and played a vital role in sabotage and intelligence operations. After the war, he received numerous honors for his bravery and service to his country.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Ritsema

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

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

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

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