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

Vanhaitsma, 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 Vanhaitsma surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Vanhaitsma in America

Vanhaitsma is the 53667th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Vanhaitsma surname appeared 385 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 Vanhaitsma.

We can also compare 2010 data for Vanhaitsma 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 Vanhaitsma

The surname VANHAITSMA originated in the Netherlands during the late 16th century. It is derived from the Dutch words "van" meaning "from" and "Haitsma" which was a small village located in the northern province of Friesland. The name likely referred to someone who hailed from this settlement.

Historical records show the earliest known spelling of the name as "Van Haitsma" in a Dutch census from 1598. Over time, the spelling evolved and became compounded into the single word VANHAITSMA. This transition was common as surnames became more formalized and fixed.

In the 17th century, the VANHAITSMA name appears in church registries and property deeds from several towns near the original Haitsma village. This suggests the family had spread to surrounding areas while maintaining their distinctive surname.

One of the earliest recorded holders of this last name was Sierk VANHAITSMA, born around 1625 in the town of Leeuwarden. He worked as a linen merchant and his business dealings are referenced in trade records from that era.

Another notable early bearer was Pieter VANHAITSMA (1669-1732), a master carpenter and architect credited with designing several churches, houses and public buildings that still stand today in parts of Friesland.

In the 1700s, a branch of the family Anglicized the spelling to "VanHytsma" after immigrating to British colonies in North America. One of these was William VanHytsma (1723-1803), a farmer who settled in New Amsterdam (later New York).

The 19th century brought more widespread migration of VANHAITSMAs to other nations. For example, Johan VANHAITSMA (1814-1891) was a Dutch sailor who jumped ship in Australia and became a whaler and pearler in Western Australia's northwest region.

Another globetrotter was the explorer and writer Dirk VANHAITSMA (1832-1901) who published accounts of his travels across Southeast Asia, India and Africa in the era of colonial expansion.

Throughout its long history, the VANHAITSMA surname has maintained a strong association with its small village origins in the northern Netherlands, despite its modern geographic dispersion around the world.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Vanhaitsma

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

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

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

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