Visser () is a Dutch language occupational surname, meaning "fisherman". In 2007, nearly 50,000 people in the Netherlands carried the name, making it the eighth most populous name in the country.[ Visser at the Database of Surnames in The Netherlands] Common variant forms of the name are De Visser, Visscher, and Vissers.
Geographical distribution
As of 2014, 43.7% of all known bearers of the surname
Visser were residents of South Africa (frequency 1:870), 39.3% of the Netherlands (1:303), 4.8% of the United States (1:52,799), 3.3% of Mozambique (1:5,812), 2.1% of Canada (1:12,250), 1.6% of Australia (1:10,599) and 1.3% of Germany (1:42,516).
In the Netherlands, the frequency of the surname was higher than national average (1:303) in the following provinces:
In South Africa, the frequency of the surname was higher than national average (1:870) in the following provinces:[ Visser surname distribution]
People
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A. G. Visser (1878–1929), Afrikaans poet
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Ad Visser (born 1947), Dutch radio presenter
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Adrie Visser (born 1983), Dutch cyclist
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Angela Visser (born 1966), Dutch model and actress
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Aron Visser (born 1999), South African cricketer
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Atie Visser (1914–2014), Dutch resistance fighter during World War II
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Audrae Visser (1919–2001), American poet
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Barbara Visser (born 1977), Dutch politician
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Barbara Visser (artist) (born 1966), Dutch artist
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Barney Visser (born 1949), American businessman and racing team owner
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Beitske Visser (born 1995), Dutch racing driver
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Brian Visser (born 1987), American soccer goalkeeper
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Carel Visser (1928–2015), Dutch sculptor
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Christia Visser (born 1992), South African actress and singer
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Cor Visser (1903–1982), Dutch artist
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Cornelis Visser (born 1964), Dutch politician
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Danie Visser (born 1961), South African tennis player
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Dennis Visser (born 1993), South African rugby player
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Dennis Visser (speed skater) (born 1995), Dutch short track speed skater
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Eelco Visser (born 1966), Dutch computer scientist
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Elizabeth Visser (1908–1987), Dutch classical scholar
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Eric Visser (born 1951), Dutch publisher
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Esmee Visser (born 1996), Dutch speed skater
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Floris Visser (born 1983), Dutch opera director
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Gerrit Visser (1903–1984), Dutch footballer
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Gian Visser (born 1975), South African IT entrepreneur
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Guido Visser (born 1970), Canadian cross-country skier
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Guillaume Visser (1880–1952), Belgian rower
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Henk Visser (collector) (1923–2006), Dutch arms and armory collector
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Henk Visser (long jumper) (1932–2015), Dutch long jumper
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Henk Visser (pediatrician) (1930–2023), Dutch pediatrician
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Henk Visser (politician) (born 1946), Dutch politician
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Impi Visser (born 1995), South African rugby player
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Ingrid Visser (biologist) (born 1966), New Zealand marine biologist
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Ingrid Visser (volleyball) (1977–2013), Dutch volleyball player
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Jenny Visser-Hooft (1888–1939), Dutch traveler, mountaineer, and naturalist, wife of Philips
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Jaco Visser (born c. 1970), South African rugby player
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John E. Visser (1920–1997), American University president
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Jurgen Visser (born 1989), South African rugby player
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Kevin Visser (born 1988), Dutch footballer
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Kyle Visser (born 1985), American basketball player
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Leo Visser (born 1966), Dutch speed skater
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Lesley Visser (born 1953), American sportscaster
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(1940–2014), Dutch operatic baritone and singing teacher
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Lucie Visser (born 1958), Dutch model and actress
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Margaret Visser (born 1940), Canadian writer and broadcaster
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Marius Visser (born 1982), Namibian rugby player
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Mark Visser (born 1983), Australian surfer
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Mart Visser (born 1968), Dutch fashion designer
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Martinus Visser (1924–2008), Australian sailor
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Matt Visser, New Zealand mathematician
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Mattijs Visser (born 1958), Dutch organizer of art exhibitions
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Maura Visser (born 1985), Dutch handballer
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Nadine Visser (born 1995), Dutch heptathlete
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Naomi Visser (born 2001), Dutch artistic gymnast
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Nikki Visser (born 1975), Australian model, television presenter, and actress
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Paul Calvin Visser (born c. 1936), American mayor of Flint, Michigan
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Philips Christiaan Visser (1882–1955), Dutch geographer, explorer, mountaineer, and diplomat
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Peter Visser (born 1960), New Zealand cricketer
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Piet Visser, pseudonym of Belgian writer Lode Van Den Bergh (1920–2020)
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Ria Visser (born 1961), Dutch speed skater and TV commentator
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Robert Visser (1860–1937), German photographer
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Rod Visser, Canadian politician
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Rokus Bernardus Visser (1914–1977), Dutch and later Indonesian military commander
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Sanna Visser (born 1984), Dutch volleyball player
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Sep Visser (born 1990), Dutch rugby union player
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Sim Visser (1908–1983), Dutch politician
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Susan Visser (born 1965), Dutch film actress
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Thijs Visser (born 1989), Aruban sailor
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Tim Visser (born 1987), Dutch rugby player representing Scotland; brother of Sep
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Wayne Visser (born 1970), South African writer, academic, social entrepreneur and futurist
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Werner Visser (born 1998), South African discus thrower
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Willem Jacob Visser (1915–1991), Dutch linguist
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Yge Visser (born 1963), Dutch chess player
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Yolandi Visser (born 1984), South African singer/rapper
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Yvonne Visser (born 1965), Canadian biathlete
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Zarck Visser (born 1989), South African long jumper
Compound names
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Haas Visser 't Hooft (1905–1977), Dutch field hockey player
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Willem Visser 't Hooft (1900–1985), Dutch secretary general of the World Council of Churches