2000
#13,863
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,999
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.74
Rare Last name
Wiersma
A Dutch toponymic surname indicating an origin near a meadow, from the Dutch words "wier" meaning bog and "sma" meaning small.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,323 Americans carry the last name Wiersma. That puts it at #14,226 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.68 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 147,548 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Wiersma 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
2.3K
1 in 147,548
Census rank
#14,226
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,026 bearers of the surname Wiersma in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.68 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14226th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Wiersma, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.4%) and Two or More Races (2.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Wiersma
The surname Wiersma originated in Friesland, a province in the northern Netherlands. It is a locational surname, derived from the Frisian words "wier" meaning "willows" and "ma" meaning "meadow." The name likely referred to an area covered with willow trees or a willow meadow.
Friesland has a long history, with traces of human habitation dating back to the Stone Age. The Frisians were among the earliest inhabitants of the region and have their own distinct language and cultural traditions. The name Wiersma is thought to have emerged in the Middle Ages, around the 11th or 12th century.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Wiersma can be found in the Frisian land records of the 14th century. These records were maintained by local authorities and often included details about property ownership and transactions.
The name Wiersma has also been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. In the 16th century, a man named Sierd Wiersma was a prominent merchant and trader in the city of Leeuwarden, Friesland. He was known for his extensive business dealings and involvement in local politics.
Another notable figure was Antje Wiersma, born in 1685 in the village of Wommels, Friesland. She gained recognition for her skills as a midwife and her dedication to assisting women during childbirth in the region.
In the 19th century, Pieter Wiersma (1819-1893) was a respected teacher and author from Friesland. He wrote several books on Frisian language and culture, contributing to the preservation of the region's heritage.
Jelle Wiersma (1847-1921) was a Frisian farmer and politician who served as a member of the Provincial Council of Friesland, representing the interests of the agricultural community.
More recently, Gerben Wiersma (1917-2004) was a renowned Frisian poet and writer. His works explored themes of rural life, nature, and the unique identity of Friesland. He received several literary awards and is considered one of the most influential Frisian authors of the 20th century.
While the Wiersma name is most commonly associated with Friesland, it has also spread to other parts of the Netherlands and beyond due to migration and family connections. However, its origins can be traced back to the willow meadows of this historic region in the northern Netherlands.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Wiersma
Among Census respondents with the surname Wiersma, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.4%) and Two or More Races (2.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Wiersma 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 Wiersma surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.8% · 1,901
- Hispanic or Latino2.4% · 48
- Two or more races2.3% · 47
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 19
- Black or African American0.4% · 8
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Wiersma
Wiersma 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
#14,279
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,097
+98 bearers (+4.9%)
Per 100,000 0.71
Rank movement Down 416 places
2020
#14,226
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,026
-71 bearers (-3.4%)
Per 100,000 0.68
Rank movement Up 53 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #13,863 | 1,999 | 0.74 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #14,279 | 2,097 | 0.71 | +98 bearers (+4.9%) | Down 416 places |
| 2020 | #14,226 | 2,026 | 0.68 | -71 bearers (-3.4%) | Up 53 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 Wiersma 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 | #14,279 | #14,226 | 0.4% |
| Count | 2,097 | 2,026 | -3.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.71 | 0.68 | -4.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Wiersma bearers went from 2,097 to 2,026 (-3.4% change). The surname moved up 53 positions in the national ranking, going from #14,279 to #14,226.
FAQ
Wiersma surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Wiersma?
Name Census estimates that about 2,323 living Americans carry the surname Wiersma. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 147,548 residents.
How common is Wiersma?
Wiersma ranks #14,226 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.68 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,026 people with the surname Wiersma. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,323), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.68 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.68 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Wiersma.
Has Wiersma become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Wiersma went from 2,097 recorded bearers to 2,026. That is a decrease of 71 (-3.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #14,279 to #14,226.
What does the Census say about the background of Wiersma?
Among Census respondents with the surname Wiersma, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.4%) and Two or More Races (2.3%). 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 Wiersma in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.8% (1,901 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Wiersma appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.8%), Hispanic (2.4%), Two or More Races (2.3%). 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 Wiersma (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 Wiersma mean?
A Dutch toponymic surname indicating an origin near a meadow, from the Dutch words "wier" meaning bog and "sma" meaning small. 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 Wiersma (0.68 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 people have the surname Wiersma?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.