2000
#143,847
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Sjaarda
A Dutch surname derived from a place name referring to a person from Sjaardema, a village in Friesland.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 125 Americans carry the last name Sjaarda. That puts it at #150,205 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,742,035 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Sjaarda 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
125
1 in 2,742,035
Census rank
#150,205
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
109
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 109 bearers of the surname Sjaarda in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150205th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Sjaarda, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.3%. The next largest groups are Black (0.9%) and Hispanic (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Sjaarda
The surname Sjaarda is of Dutch origin, originating in the northern provinces of the Netherlands. It is believed to have derived from the Old Frisian word "sjaard," which referred to a meadow or pasture. The name likely originated in the medieval period, possibly between the 11th and 13th centuries.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Sjaarda can be found in the Dutch province of Friesland, where a family bearing this surname was documented in the 15th century. Variations of the spelling, such as "Sjaerda" and "Sjaerdema," were also common in this region during that time.
In the 16th century, a notable figure named Reiner Sjaarda (1492-1569) was a prominent churchman and scholar in the city of Leeuwarden, Friesland. He was known for his contributions to the study of theology and his advocacy for the Protestant Reformation in the Netherlands.
The name Sjaarda also appeared in several historical records from the 17th and 18th centuries, including land ownership documents and church registers. One such record mentions a Pieter Sjaarda (1634-1702), a wealthy merchant and landowner from the town of Sneek, Friesland.
In the 19th century, a notable figure named Arjen Sjaarda (1812-1891) was a renowned painter and artist from the village of Sexbierum, Friesland. His works, which often depicted rural landscapes and scenes from Frisian life, are highly regarded and can be found in several museums in the Netherlands.
Another individual of note was Tjalling Sjaarda (1878-1952), a prominent lawyer and politician from the city of Groningen. He served as a member of the Dutch Parliament and was known for his advocacy for workers' rights and social reforms.
While the name Sjaarda is predominantly found in the Netherlands, particularly in the northern provinces of Friesland and Groningen, it has also spread to other parts of the world through migration and diaspora communities.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Sjaarda
Among Census respondents with the surname Sjaarda, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.3%. The next largest groups are Black (0.9%) and Hispanic (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Sjaarda 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 Sjaarda surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White96.3% · 105
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
- Hispanic or Latino0.9% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
- Two or more races0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Sjaarda
Sjaarda 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
#148,347
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
+5 bearers (+4.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 4,500 places
2020
#150,205
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
-2 bearers (-1.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 1,858 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #143,847 | 106 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #148,347 | 111 | 0.04 | +5 bearers (+4.7%) | Down 4,500 places |
| 2020 | #150,205 | 109 | 0.04 | -2 bearers (-1.8%) | Down 1,858 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 Sjaarda 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 | #148,347 | #150,205 | -1.3% |
| Count | 111 | 109 | -1.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -8.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Sjaarda bearers went from 111 to 109 (-1.8% change). The surname moved down 1,858 positions in the national ranking, going from #148,347 to #150,205.
FAQ
Sjaarda surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Sjaarda?
Name Census estimates that about 125 living Americans carry the surname Sjaarda. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,742,035 residents.
How common is Sjaarda?
Sjaarda ranks #150,205 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 109 people with the surname Sjaarda. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (125), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Sjaarda.
Has Sjaarda become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Sjaarda went from 111 recorded bearers to 109. That is a decrease of 2 (-1.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #148,347 to #150,205.
What does the Census say about the background of Sjaarda?
Among Census respondents with the surname Sjaarda, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.3%. The next largest groups are Black (0.9%) and Hispanic (0.9%). 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 Sjaarda in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.3% (105 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Sjaarda appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (96.3%), Black (0.9%), Hispanic (0.9%). 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 Sjaarda (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 Sjaarda mean?
A Dutch surname derived from a place name referring to a person from Sjaardema, a village in Friesland. 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 Sjaarda (0.04 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 many Americans have the surname Sjaarda?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.