2000
#147,095
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Valkema
A Dutch surname derived from the words "valke" meaning falcon and "ma" meaning meadow.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 131 Americans carry the last name Valkema. That puts it at #146,495 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,616,445 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Valkema 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
131
1 in 2,616,445
Census rank
#146,495
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
114
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 114 bearers of the surname Valkema in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 146495th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Valkema, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (7.0%) and Hispanic (4.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Valkema
The surname VALKEMA is of Dutch origin, with roots dating back to the Middle Ages. It is believed to have originated in the northern provinces of the Netherlands, particularly in Friesland and Groningen.
VALKEMA is a locational surname, derived from the Dutch word "valk," meaning "falcon," and "ema" or "heem," meaning "home" or "dwelling." This suggests that the name may have been given to someone who lived in an area associated with falcons, such as a falconer's residence or a place where falcons were known to nest.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname VALKEMA can be found in the "Oorkondenboek van Groningen en Drente," a collection of historical documents from the provinces of Groningen and Drenthe, dating back to the 13th century. This suggests that the name has been present in the region for several centuries.
In the 16th century, a prominent figure named Pieter VALKEMA (1521-1592) was a Dutch scholar and theologian who played a significant role in the Protestant Reformation in the Netherlands. He served as a minister in Groningen and was known for his contributions to the translation of the Bible into Dutch.
Another notable individual with the surname VALKEMA was Gerrit VALKEMA (1675-1756), a Dutch painter active in the 18th century. He was known for his still-life paintings and landscapes, some of which can be found in museums in the Netherlands and abroad.
During the 17th and 18th centuries, the VALKEMA name appeared in various records and documents in the northern provinces of the Netherlands, indicating the continued presence of this family in the region.
In the 19th century, Pieter VALKEMA (1825-1903) was a Dutch politician and jurist who served as a member of the House of Representatives in the Netherlands.
Another individual of note was Johannes VALKEMA (1881-1955), a Dutch architect who designed several notable buildings in Amsterdam and other parts of the Netherlands in the early 20th century.
While the VALKEMA surname has its roots in the northern provinces of the Netherlands, it has since spread to other parts of the world through emigration and migration. However, its origins can be traced back to the medieval period in the Dutch regions of Friesland and Groningen, where it was likely associated with falcons and falconry.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Valkema
Among Census respondents with the surname Valkema, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (7.0%) and Hispanic (4.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Valkema 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 Valkema surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White83.3% · 95
- Two or more races7.0% · 8
- Hispanic or Latino4.4% · 5
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.6% · 3
- Black or African American1.8% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Valkema
Valkema 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
#151,532
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
+5 bearers (+4.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 4,437 places
2020
#146,495
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
+6 bearers (+5.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 5,037 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #147,095 | 103 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #151,532 | 108 | 0.04 | +5 bearers (+4.9%) | Down 4,437 places |
| 2020 | #146,495 | 114 | 0.04 | +6 bearers (+5.6%) | Up 5,037 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 Valkema 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 | #151,532 | #146,495 | 3.3% |
| Count | 108 | 114 | 5.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -4.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Valkema bearers went from 108 to 114 (+5.6% change). The surname moved up 5,037 positions in the national ranking, going from #151,532 to #146,495.
FAQ
Valkema surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Valkema?
Name Census estimates that about 131 living Americans carry the surname Valkema. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,616,445 residents.
How common is Valkema?
Valkema ranks #146,495 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 114 people with the surname Valkema. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (131), 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 Valkema.
Has Valkema become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Valkema went from 108 recorded bearers to 114. That is an increase of 6 (+5.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #151,532 to #146,495.
What does the Census say about the background of Valkema?
Among Census respondents with the surname Valkema, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (7.0%) and Hispanic (4.4%). 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 Valkema in the 2020 Census, accounting for 83.3% (95 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Valkema appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (83.3%), Two or More Races (7.0%), Hispanic (4.4%). 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 Valkema (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 Valkema mean?
A Dutch surname derived from the words "valke" meaning falcon and "ma" meaning meadow. 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 Valkema (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 common is the surname Valkema?
If you just want to know how many Americans have the surname Valkema, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.