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

Ritzema, 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 Ritzema surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Ritzema in America

Ritzema is the 83226th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Ritzema surname appeared 226 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 Ritzema.

We can also compare 2010 data for Ritzema 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 Ritzema

The surname Ritzema originated in the Netherlands, tracing its roots back to the 15th century. It is derived from the Dutch words "rits" and "eem," which translate to "rush" and "river," respectively. The name likely referred to someone residing near a rushing river or stream.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Ritzema name appears in the Dutch municipal archives of the city of Kampen, dated 1487. This document mentions a certain Jan Ritzema, a merchant engaged in the textile trade.

The Ritzema surname gained prominence in the 16th century, particularly in the province of Friesland. Historical records from this period mention several notable individuals bearing this name, including Hessel Ritzema (1525-1589), a respected jurist and member of the Frisian nobility.

In the 17th century, the Ritzema family established itself as a prominent dynasty in the Dutch Republic. Jacob Ritzema (1610-1673) served as a burgomaster (mayor) of the city of Leeuwarden, while his son, Cornelis Ritzema (1645-1721), was a renowned military officer who fought in the Nine Years' War against France.

The Ritzema name also found its way across the Atlantic Ocean during the Dutch colonial era. One of the earliest documented instances of the name in North America is that of Johannes Ritzema (1670-1738), who settled in the Dutch colony of New Netherland (present-day New York) in the late 17th century.

Another notable figure bearing the Ritzema surname was Rudolph Ritzema (1765-1825), a Dutch naval officer and explorer. He captained several voyages to the East Indies and is credited with charting several previously uncharted islands in the Pacific Ocean.

Throughout the centuries, the Ritzema name has been associated with various professions, including law, military service, commerce, and academia. Some other notable individuals with this surname include Johannes Ritzema van Schagen (1731-1808), a Dutch lawyer and politician, and Coenraad Jacob Ritzema (1835-1903), a Dutch entomologist and writer on agricultural topics.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Ritzema

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

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

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

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