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Balkema Family History

Balkema Surname Meaning

Dutch (mainly Groningen): patronymic formed with the Frisian suffix -ma ‘(one of the) men of’ from the personal name Balke, a pet form of Bal.

Nickname for a carpenter from balk ‘beam’ (see Balk) composed with the same Frisian suffix as in the first point.

Habitational name for someone from the hamlet Balk near Grotegast, the village Balk in Gaasterland, Balkbrug (Ooststellingwerf), or Balkend (Leeuwarderadeel).

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


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Where is the Balkema family from?

You can see how Balkema families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Balkema family name was found in the USA, and Scotland between 1871 and 1920. The most Balkema families were found in USA in 1920. In 1880 there were 15 Balkema families living in Indiana. This was about 60% of all the recorded Balkema's in USA. Indiana had the highest population of Balkema families in 1880.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Balkema surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Balkema ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Farmer and Teacher were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Balkema. 34% of Balkema men worked as a Farmer and 100% of Balkema women worked as a Teacher.

View Census Data for Balkema | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

United States shown, Canada data unavailable

Top Male Occupations In 1940

  • Farmer
    34%
  • Truck Driver
    14%
  • Clerk
    10%
  • Manager
    10%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Teacher
    100%

What Balkema family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 1,000 census records available for the last name Balkema. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Balkema census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Balkema

Passenger Lists

There are 207 immigration records available for the last name Balkema. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in Canada, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Balkema immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 184 military records available for the last name Balkema. For the veterans among your Balkema ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Balkema military records

You've only scratched the surface of Balkema family history

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What is the average Balkema lifespan?

Between 1958 and 2004, in the United States, Balkema life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1962, and highest in 1975. The average life expectancy for Balkema in 1958 was 60, and 77 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Balkema

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Balkema ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

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