Explore the Family Name Postma
The meaning of Postma
West Frisian and Dutch: 1. variant of Post, formed with the Frisian suffix -ma originally denoting ‘(one of the) men of’. 2. topographic name derived from post ‘bridge’, as in the placename Buitenpost, formed with the same Frisian suffix as in 1 above. 3. variant of Posthuma.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Postma in the United States?
According to the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname Postma ranked 13,213th in popularity in 2000 and slipped slightly to 13,300th in 2010, marking a marginal decrease of about 0.66%. However, the count of individuals with this surname rose from 2,119 in 2000 to 2,293 in 2010, indicating an increase of 8.21%. The proportion of this surname per hundred thousand people saw a slight drop from 0.79 to 0.78 during this decade.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #13,213 | #13,300 | -0.66% |
| Count | 2,119 | 2,293 | 8.21% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.79 | 0.78 | -1.27% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Postma
In terms of ethnicity, the Decennial U.S. Census data reveals that the majority of individuals with the surname Postma identified as White, making up 97.03% in 2000 and 96.03% in 2010. There was a noticeable rise in those who identified with two or more races, from 0.76% in 2000 to 1.00% in 2010, marking a 31.58% change. There was also a significant increase of 65.79% in those identifying as Hispanic, rising from 0.76% in 2000 to 1.26% in 2010. In contrast, individuals identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander marginally decreased by 2.63%. The 2010 census showed new representations from individuals identifying as Black and American Indian and Alaskan Native at 0.48%, which were not present in the 2000 data.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 97.03% | 96.03% | -1.03% |
| Hispanic | 0.76% | 1.26% | 65.79% |
| Two or More Races | 0.76% | 1% | 31.58% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.76% | 0.74% | -2.63% |
| Black | 0% | 0.48% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0.48% | 0% |