Explore the Family Name Schaafsma

The meaning of Schaafsma

West Frisian and Dutch: occupational name for a carpenter, from schaaf ‘plane’, composed with the Frisian suffix -ma, which originally denoted ‘(one of the) men of’.

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name Schaafsma in the United States?

The surname Schaafsma has seen an increase in popularity according to the Decennial U.S. Census data. In 2000, the surname was ranked 47,210 in popularity with a count of 423 individuals carrying the name. This number rose by 18.2% to 500 by 2010, pushing the rank up to 43,206. Consequently, the proportion per 100,000 individuals also increased slightly from 0.16 to 0.17, marking a growth rate of 6.25%.

20002010Change
Rank#47,210#43,2068.48%
Count42350018.2%
Proportion per 100k0.160.176.25%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Schaafsma

Shifting focus to the ethnic identity associated with the surname Schaafsma, again based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, we can see some interesting trends. The majority of people with this surname identified as White; however, the percentage dropped from 97.64% in 2000 to 93.40% in 2010. An increase is noted in the Hispanic and Two or More Races categories, with the former registering no individuals in 2000 but rising to represent 3.20% by 2010, and the latter going from zero to 1.80%. The Black category also saw a slight increase from 1.18% to 1.20%. No individuals with the Schaafsma surname identified as Asian/Pacific Islander or American Indian and Alaskan Native during either census year.

20002010Change
White97.64%93.4%-4.34%
Hispanic0%3.2%0%
Two or More Races0%1.8%0%
Black1.18%1.2%1.69%
Asian/Pacific Islander0%0%0%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0%0%0%