2000
#33,528
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 642
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.24
Very Rare Last name
Riemersma
A surname of Dutch origin meaning "reedmaker" or "thatchmaker".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 763 Americans carry the last name Riemersma. That puts it at #36,244 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.22 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 449,219 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Riemersma 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
763
1 in 449,219
Census rank
#36,244
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
665
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 665 bearers of the surname Riemersma in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.22 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 36244th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Riemersma, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.5%) and Hispanic (2.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Riemersma
The surname Riemersma originated in the Netherlands, with its earliest records dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old Dutch word "riem," meaning "thong" or "strip of leather," and "erfsma," which translates to "heir" or "inheritor." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to an occupation or trade involving leather goods.
The earliest known bearer of the Riemersma name was Geert Riemersma, born around 1520 in the province of Friesland. He was a prominent merchant and landowner, and his name appears in several municipal records from the city of Leeuwarden during that period.
In the 17th century, the Riemersma family gained prominence in the town of Franeker, where they were involved in academia and the legal profession. One notable figure was Sibrandus Riemersma (1602-1672), a respected jurist and professor of law at the University of Franeker.
The surname Riemersma has also been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. One such individual was Joannes Riemersma (1770-1841), a Dutch military officer who served in the Napoleonic Wars and later became the Governor of Suriname, a Dutch colony in South America.
Another prominent bearer of the name was Pieter Riemersma (1815-1897), a Dutch politician and jurist who served as the Minister of Justice in the Netherlands from 1868 to 1870. He played a significant role in the revision of the Dutch Civil Code during his tenure.
In the 20th century, Bauke Riemersma (1901-1981) was a renowned Dutch linguist and author, best known for his work on the Frisian language and culture. He contributed significantly to the preservation and promotion of the Frisian language through his writings and academic pursuits.
The name Riemersma has also been found in various historical records and manuscripts, such as the records of the Dutch Reformed Church, genealogical archives, and local municipal documents from the provinces of Friesland and Groningen.
While the surname Riemersma is relatively uncommon outside of the Netherlands, it has a rich history and cultural significance, reflecting the Dutch heritage and traditions from which it emerged.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Riemersma
Among Census respondents with the surname Riemersma, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.5%) and Hispanic (2.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Riemersma 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 Riemersma surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.2% · 613
- Two or more races4.5% · 30
- Hispanic or Latino2.1% · 14
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 6
- Black or African American0.3% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Riemersma
Riemersma 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
#34,835
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 648
+6 bearers (+0.9%)
Per 100,000 0.22
Rank movement Down 1,307 places
2020
#36,244
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 665
+17 bearers (+2.6%)
Per 100,000 0.22
Rank movement Down 1,409 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #33,528 | 642 | 0.24 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #34,835 | 648 | 0.22 | +6 bearers (+0.9%) | Down 1,307 places |
| 2020 | #36,244 | 665 | 0.22 | +17 bearers (+2.6%) | Down 1,409 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 Riemersma 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 | #34,835 | #36,244 | -4.0% |
| Count | 648 | 665 | 2.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.22 | 0.22 | 1.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Riemersma bearers went from 648 to 665 (+2.6% change). The surname moved down 1,409 positions in the national ranking, going from #34,835 to #36,244.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Riemersma
FAQ
Riemersma surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Riemersma?
Name Census estimates that about 763 living Americans carry the surname Riemersma. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 449,219 residents.
How common is Riemersma?
Riemersma ranks #36,244 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.22 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 665 people with the surname Riemersma. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (763), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.22 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.22 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 Riemersma.
Has Riemersma become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Riemersma went from 648 recorded bearers to 665. That is an increase of 17 (+2.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #34,835 to #36,244.
What does the Census say about the background of Riemersma?
Among Census respondents with the surname Riemersma, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.5%) and Hispanic (2.1%). 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 Riemersma in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.2% (613 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Riemersma appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.2%), Two or More Races (4.5%), Hispanic (2.1%). 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 Riemersma (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 Riemersma mean?
A surname of Dutch origin meaning "reedmaker" or "thatchmaker". 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 Riemersma (0.22 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 last name Riemersma?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how common the surname Riemersma is at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.