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Ritsema Family History

Ritsema Name Meaning

West Frisian: patronymic formed with the suffix -ma ‘(one of the) men of’ from the personal name Ritse a short form of an ancient Germanic name with the element rīk ‘powerful rich’.

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


Similar surnames: Reitsma, Wiersema, Sietsema, Rosema, Sytsma, Riese, Ritzer, Risse

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Where is the Ritsema family from?

You can see how Ritsema families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Ritsema family name was found in the USA, and Canada between 1880 and 1920. The most Ritsema families were found in USA in 1920. In 1911 there were 3 Ritsema families living in Alberta. This was 100% of all the recorded Ritsema's in Canada. Alberta had the highest population of Ritsema families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Ritsema surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Ritsema ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and Housekeeper were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Ritsema. 26% of Ritsema men worked as a Laborer and 45% of Ritsema women worked as a Housekeeper. Some less common occupations for Americans named Ritsema were Plasterer and Sewing Machine Operator. .

View Census Data for Ritsema | 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

  • Laborer
    26%
  • Truck Driver
    20%
  • Farmer
    20%
  • Plasterer
    17%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Housekeeper
    45%
  • Clerk
    34%
  • Sewing Machine Operator
    23%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Ritsema family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 802 census records available for the last name Ritsema. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Ritsema census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Ritsema

Passenger Lists

There are 273 immigration records available for the last name Ritsema. 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 Ritsema immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 232 military records available for the last name Ritsema. For the veterans among your Ritsema ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

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What is the average Ritsema lifespan?

Between 1960 and 2004, in the United States, Ritsema life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1967, and highest in 1974. The average life expectancy for Ritsema in 1960 was 58, and 69 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Ritsema

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