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

Tjepkema, 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 Tjepkema surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Tjepkema in America

Tjepkema is the 147253rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Tjepkema surname appeared 112 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 Tjepkema.

We can also compare 2010 data for Tjepkema 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 Tjepkema

The surname Tjepkema originated in Friesland, a province of the Netherlands. It dates back to the 16th century and is derived from the Frisian language, specifically from the words "tjepp" meaning marsh or swamp, and "kem" meaning island or ridge. This suggests the name originated from a geographical location, likely referring to a person who lived on a ridge surrounded by marshes or swamps.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Tjepkema can be found in the Frisian town of Leeuwarden, where a Tjepke Tjepkema was mentioned in a legal document from 1587. The name also appears in the Frisian municipal records of the 17th century, with variations such as Tjepcke, Tjepcken, and Tjepckema.

In the 18th century, the Tjepkema family was established in the village of Hallum, located in the northern part of Friesland. Notable individuals from this time period include Lieuwe Tjepkema (1708-1783), a wealthy farmer and landowner, and his son, Sytse Tjepkema (1743-1819), who served as a local magistrate.

During the 19th century, the Tjepkema name spread beyond Friesland as family members migrated to other parts of the Netherlands and even abroad. One notable figure was Doeke Tjepkema (1818-1892), a teacher and writer who authored several books on Frisian history and culture.

In the early 20th century, Tjepkema became a more widely recognized surname, with individuals such as Tjerk Tjepkema (1879-1952), a prominent Dutch politician and member of the House of Representatives, and Sjoerd Tjepkema (1903-1981), a renowned painter and artist from Friesland.

Other individuals of note with the surname Tjepkema include Tjeerd Tjepkema (1921-2008), a Frisian writer and poet, and Jelmer Tjepkema (born 1973), a contemporary Dutch politician and member of the House of Representatives.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Tjepkema

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

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

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

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