2000
#29,904
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 741
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.27
Very Rare Last name
Ritsema
A Dutch surname derived from the placename Ritsum, meaning someone from Ritsum.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 947 Americans carry the last name Ritsema. That puts it at #30,311 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.28 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 361,937 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ritsema surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
947
1 in 361,937
Census rank
#30,311
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
826
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 826 bearers of the surname Ritsema in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.28 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 30311th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ritsema, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.8%) and Hispanic (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ritsema
Among Census respondents with the surname Ritsema, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.8%) and Hispanic (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Ritsema bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Ritsema surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.9% · 776
- Two or more races2.8% · 23
- Hispanic or Latino1.9% · 16
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.1% · 9
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ritsema
Ritsema appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#29,693
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 793
+52 bearers (+7.0%)
Per 100,000 0.27
Rank movement Up 211 places
2020
#30,311
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 826
+33 bearers (+4.2%)
Per 100,000 0.28
Rank movement Down 618 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #29,904 | 741 | 0.27 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #29,693 | 793 | 0.27 | +52 bearers (+7.0%) | Up 211 places |
| 2020 | #30,311 | 826 | 0.28 | +33 bearers (+4.2%) | Down 618 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Ritsema surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #29,693 | #30,311 | -2.1% |
| Count | 793 | 826 | 4.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.27 | 0.28 | 2.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ritsema bearers went from 793 to 826 (+4.2% change). The surname moved down 618 positions in the national ranking, going from #29,693 to #30,311.
FAQ
Ritsema surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ritsema?
Name Census estimates that about 947 living Americans carry the surname Ritsema. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 361,937 residents.
How common is Ritsema?
Ritsema ranks #30,311 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.28 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 826 people with the surname Ritsema. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (947), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.28 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.28 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Ritsema.
Has Ritsema become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ritsema went from 793 recorded bearers to 826. That is an increase of 33 (+4.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #29,693 to #30,311.
What does the Census say about the background of Ritsema?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ritsema, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.8%) and Hispanic (1.9%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Ritsema in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.9% (776 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ritsema appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.9%), Two or More Races (2.8%), Hispanic (1.9%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Ritsema (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Ritsema mean?
A Dutch surname derived from the placename Ritsum, meaning someone from Ritsum. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Ritsema (0.28 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How common is the surname Ritsema?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the surname Ritsema on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.