2000
#139,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Yntema
A surname likely derived from a Dutch place name containing the element "yntema" for "newly cultivated land".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 134 Americans carry the last name Yntema. That puts it at #144,270 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,557,868 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Yntema 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
134
1 in 2,557,868
Census rank
#144,270
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
117
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 117 bearers of the surname Yntema in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 144270th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Yntema, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Yntema
The surname Yntema originates from the Netherlands, with its roots deeply entrenched in the Frisian region of northern Holland. The earliest records date back to around the medieval period, notably in the areas where the Frisian language and its dialects were predominantly spoken. The name Yntema appears to be a patronymic surname, which means it is derived from a given name, specifically "Ynse" or "Ynse," which were common Frisian given names at that time. The suffix -ma in Frisian patronymic surnames implies "son of" or "descendant of." This suffix is similar to -son in English or -sen in Scandinavian surnames. Therefore, the surname Yntema essentially means "son of Ynse."
The earliest notable records of the surname Yntema date back to the 16th century. One of the first documented individuals with this surname is Jelle Yntema, mentioned in legal documents from the 1560s in Grouw, a village in the modern Friesland province. His name appears in land ownership deeds, reflecting a period when written records started becoming more common due to increased bureaucratic processes.
Through the centuries, the Yntema family name continued to appear in various historical records. In the 18th century, one prominent figure was Sjoerd Yntema, born in 1723 in Leeuwarden. Sjoerd was a well-known farmer whose business dealings are recorded in municipal archives, showcasing the agricultural lifestyle typical of the region.
A notable personality in the 19th century was Thomas J. Yntema, an emigrant to the United States. Born in Harlingen, Friesland, in 1829, Thomas became a significant figure in his new homeland, contributing to the community through his work as a merchant and later as a public official. His life mirrors the broader narrative of Dutch emigration during the 19th century when many Dutch families moved to the New World seeking better opportunities.
In the 20th century, the surname Yntema gained scholarly recognition through Hessel Yntema, an esteemed legal scholar. Born in 1891, Hessel Yntema was a professor of law at the University of Michigan and a founder of the American Society of Comparative Law. His contributions to legal scholarship, particularly in the field of comparative law, remain influential to this day.
Another significant figure is Douwe Yntema, born in 1931 in the Netherlands. Douwe was a physicist whose research in particle physics earned international recognition. His contributions to the scientific community through various publications and collaborative projects have cemented the Yntema name in the academic world.
The surname Yntema has evolved over time, with variations in spelling reflecting the linguistic changes and regional dialects. Some historical documents mention alternative spellings such as Yntsema or Yntzema, though these variations are less common. Despite its regional origin, the surname has traveled across continents, reflecting the mobility and adaptability of families bearing this name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Yntema
Among Census respondents with the surname Yntema, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Yntema 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 Yntema surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.0% · 110
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 4
- Two or more races2.6% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Yntema
Yntema 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
#129,825
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 131
+21 bearers (+19.1%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 9,932 places
2020
#144,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
-14 bearers (-10.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 14,445 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #139,757 | 110 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #129,825 | 131 | 0.04 | +21 bearers (+19.1%) | Up 9,932 places |
| 2020 | #144,270 | 117 | 0.04 | -14 bearers (-10.7%) | Down 14,445 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 Yntema 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 | #129,825 | #144,270 | -11.1% |
| Count | 131 | 117 | -10.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -2.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Yntema bearers went from 131 to 117 (-10.7% change). The surname moved down 14,445 positions in the national ranking, going from #129,825 to #144,270.
FAQ
Yntema surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Yntema?
Name Census estimates that about 134 living Americans carry the surname Yntema. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,557,868 residents.
How common is Yntema?
Yntema ranks #144,270 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 117 people with the surname Yntema. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (134), 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 Yntema.
Has Yntema become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Yntema went from 131 recorded bearers to 117. That is a decrease of 14 (-10.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #129,825 to #144,270.
What does the Census say about the background of Yntema?
Among Census respondents with the surname Yntema, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Two or More Races (2.6%). 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 Yntema in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.0% (110 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Yntema appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.0%), Hispanic (3.4%), Two or More Races (2.6%). 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 Yntema (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 Yntema mean?
A surname likely derived from a Dutch place name containing the element "yntema" for "newly cultivated land". 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 Yntema (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 many Americans have the surname Yntema?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.