Rozema
A locational surname derived from a place name in the Netherlands.
According to the 2010 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 891 Americans carry the last name Rozema. That puts it at #30,165 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.26 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 384,685 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Rozema surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, 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
891
1 in 384,685
Census rank
#30,165
2010 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
777
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 777 bearers of the surname Rozema in its 2010 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.26 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 30165th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Rozema, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.0%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (1.5%) and Two or More Races (1.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Rozema
The surname Rozema originated in the Netherlands during the late Middle Ages. It is believed to have derived from the Dutch phrase "op de zeem," which translates to "on the seam" or "on the border." This suggests that the earliest bearers of the name may have resided near a regional boundary or along the frontier of a territory.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Rozema name can be found in a 16th-century Dutch census record, where a certain Dirk Rozema was listed as a resident of the city of Leiden. It is speculated that this individual may have been a farmer or landowner whose property lay along the outskirts of the city.
During the 17th century, the Rozema name appeared in several historical documents from the Friesland region of the Netherlands. In particular, a Jan Rozema was mentioned in a legal record from the town of Leeuwarden, dated 1632. This Jan Rozema was a merchant involved in a dispute over a shipment of goods.
The Rozema name also has a connection to the Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia), as evidenced by the existence of a Willem Rozema who served as a captain in the Dutch East India Company during the late 1600s. He is noted for his involvement in the establishment of a trading post on the island of Java.
In the 19th century, a notable figure bearing the Rozema surname was Pieter Rozema, a Dutch painter and artist who was born in 1818 and died in 1892. He was renowned for his landscape paintings depicting rural scenes from the Netherlands.
Another individual of historical significance was Gerrit Rozema, a Dutch theologian and philosopher who lived from 1823 to 1901. He was a prominent figure in the Dutch Reformed Church and authored several influential works on Christian doctrine and ethics.
While the Rozema name has its roots in the Netherlands, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly through Dutch emigration to countries like the United States, Canada, and South Africa. However, the earliest and most significant historical references to this surname can be traced back to its Dutch origins.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Rozema
Among Census respondents with the surname Rozema, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.0%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (1.5%) and Two or More Races (1.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Rozema bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2010 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.
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 Rozema surname at the time of the 2010 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White95.0%
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.5%
- Two or more races1.5%
- Hispanic or Latino1.3%
- Unknown or suppressed0.6%
Year on year
2000 vs 2010 Census
How has the Rozema surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
| Metric | 2000 | 2010 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #30,023 | #30,165 | -0.5% |
| Count | 737 | 777 | 5.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.27 | 0.26 | -3.7% |
Between the 2000 and 2010 Census, the number of Rozema bearers went from 737 to 777 (+5.4% change). The surname moved down 142 positions in the national ranking, going from #30,023 to #30,165.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Rozema
FAQ
Rozema surname: questions and answers
How common is the last name Rozema?
The surname Rozema holds position #30,165 in the US Census Bureau's surname ranking, with an estimated 891 living bearers. It occurs at a rate of 0.26 per 100,000 Americans.
What is the ethnic background of the Rozema surname?
Among Census respondents with the surname Rozema, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.0%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (1.5%) and Two or More Races (1.5%). These figures come from the 2010 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Where does this surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These tables list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2010 Census, along with a frequency rate and self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.