2000
#25,926
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 890
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.33
Rare Last name
Venema
A surname of Dutch origin meaning "from the Fens" or "from the marshes".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,083 Americans carry the last name Venema. That puts it at #27,108 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.32 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 316,486 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Venema 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
1.1K
1 in 316,486
Census rank
#27,108
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
944
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 944 bearers of the surname Venema in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.32 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 27108th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Venema, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.9%) and Two or More Races (1.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Venema
The surname Venema has its origins in the Netherlands, where it first appeared in the 16th century. The name is derived from the Dutch word "vennen," which means "marshes" or "fens," suggesting that the earliest bearers of this name may have lived near marshy or swampy areas.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Venema surname can be found in the Dutch baptismal records of the late 16th century. It appears in various spellings, such as "Vennema," "Vennama," and "Venama," likely due to regional variations and the lack of standardized spelling at the time.
In the 17th century, the name Venema gained prominence in the northern provinces of the Netherlands, particularly in Friesland and Groningen. There are records of Venemas serving as merchants, artisans, and landowners during this period.
A notable individual bearing the Venema surname was Eelco Venema, a Dutch mathematician and astronomer born in Harlingen, Friesland, in 1675. He made significant contributions to the study of comets and published several works on celestial mechanics.
Another prominent figure was Pieter Venema, a Dutch Golden Age painter born in Leeuwarden, Friesland, in 1644. He is best known for his still-life paintings and portraits, which were highly regarded during his lifetime.
In the 18th century, the Venema surname spread to other parts of Europe, including Germany and Scandinavia. One example is Johann Venema, a German theologian and philosopher born in 1698 in Moordrecht, South Holland. He taught at the University of Franeker and wrote extensively on theological and philosophical topics.
The 19th century saw the Venema name appear in the United States, likely due to Dutch immigration. One notable American bearer of this surname was Herman Venema, a Dutch-American civil engineer born in 1846 in Groningen, Netherlands. He was involved in the construction of several major bridges and infrastructure projects in the United States.
Another prominent figure was Dirk Venema, a Dutch-American businessman and philanthropist born in 1841 in Groningen, Netherlands. He founded the Venema Copper Works in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and was known for his philanthropic efforts in supporting educational institutions and charitable organizations.
Throughout its history, the surname Venema has been associated with various professions, including academics, artists, entrepreneurs, and professionals. While its origins can be traced back to the marshlands of the Netherlands, the name has since spread across different regions and cultures, reflecting the global reach of Dutch migration and influence.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Venema
Among Census respondents with the surname Venema, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.9%) and Two or More Races (1.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Venema 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 Venema surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.3% · 890
- Hispanic or Latino2.9% · 27
- Two or more races1.4% · 13
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.2% · 11
- Black or African American0.2% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Venema
Venema 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
#25,555
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 966
+76 bearers (+8.5%)
Per 100,000 0.33
Rank movement Up 371 places
2020
#27,108
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 944
-22 bearers (-2.3%)
Per 100,000 0.32
Rank movement Down 1,553 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #25,926 | 890 | 0.33 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #25,555 | 966 | 0.33 | +76 bearers (+8.5%) | Up 371 places |
| 2020 | #27,108 | 944 | 0.32 | -22 bearers (-2.3%) | Down 1,553 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 Venema 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 | #25,555 | #27,108 | -6.1% |
| Count | 966 | 944 | -2.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.33 | 0.32 | -4.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Venema bearers went from 966 to 944 (-2.3% change). The surname moved down 1,553 positions in the national ranking, going from #25,555 to #27,108.
FAQ
Venema surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Venema?
Name Census estimates that about 1,083 living Americans carry the surname Venema. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 316,486 residents.
How common is Venema?
Venema ranks #27,108 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.32 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 944 people with the surname Venema. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,083), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.32 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.32 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 Venema.
Has Venema become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Venema went from 966 recorded bearers to 944. That is a decrease of 22 (-2.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #25,555 to #27,108.
What does the Census say about the background of Venema?
Among Census respondents with the surname Venema, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.9%) and Two or More Races (1.4%). 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 Venema in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.3% (890 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Venema appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.3%), Hispanic (2.9%), Two or More Races (1.4%). 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 Venema (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 Venema mean?
A surname of Dutch origin meaning "from the Fens" or "from the marshes". 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 Venema (0.32 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 Venema?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.