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

Zuidema, 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 Zuidema surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Zuidema in America

Zuidema is the 20961st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Zuidema surname appeared 1,256 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 Zuidema.

We can also compare 2010 data for Zuidema 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 Zuidema

The surname Zuidema is of Dutch origin, with its roots deep in the Netherlands, particularly in the northern regions such as Friesland. The name first began to appear around the 16th and 17th centuries, a period when surnames were becoming more standardized in Dutch society. Zuidema is a toponymic surname, indicating that it originally described the geographic location or landscape associated with the bearer or their ancestors.

The meaning of Zuidema can be dissected as follows: "Zuid" translates to "south" in Dutch, while "ma" is a Frisian suffix indicating "people" or "family of." Therefore, Zuidema essentially means "south people" or "family from the south," likely referring to families that lived to the south of a particular village or landmark.

In historical records, the name Zuidema has been spelled with slight variations, such as Suydema and Suytema, reflecting the orthographic fluidity of the times. These variations can be found in early administrative documents and church records. One of the earliest known references to the name appears in the late 16th century in Friesland, where the Dutch Reformed Church was keeping detailed registries of births, baptisms, and marriages.

A notable person bearing the surname Zuidema was Cornelis Zuidema, born in 1581 in Friesland, who was a renowned farmer and respected member of his local community. Another historical figure is Pieter Zuidema, who served as a ship's captain in the mid-17th century and was documented in maritime records from 1642. Jan Zuidema, born in 1725, was a well-documented trader in the city of Groningen. His business dealings were crucial in establishing trade routes within the northern provinces.

In the 19th century, Hendrik Zuidema, born in 1803, contributed significantly to the agricultural advancements in the Drenthe region, helping to modernize farming techniques and improve crop yields. Finally, Maria Zuidema, born in 1856, was an influential social reformer in the city of Leeuwarden, advocating for the rights and education of women and children.

These notable individuals highlight the diverse contributions of the Zuidema family across various fields over several centuries, underscoring the rich history and enduring legacy of this Dutch surname.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Zuidema

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

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

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

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