Visser

For the novel in the Animorphs series, see Visser (novel).

Visser is a Dutch 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.[1] 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:

• 1. Friesland (1:94)
• 2. Flevoland (1:165)
• 3. Groningen (1:212)
• 4. North Holland (1:222)
• 5. South Holland (1:274)

In South Africa, the frequency of the surname was higher than national average (1:870) in the following provinces:[2]

• 1. Northern Cape (1:191)
• 2. Western Cape (1:382)
• 3. North West (1:755)
• 4. Free State (1:816)
• 5. Gauteng (1:830)

People

• A. G. Visser (1878–1929), Afrikaans poet
• Ad Visser (born 1947), Dutch radio presenter
• Adrie Visser (born 1983), Dutch cyclist
• Angela Visser (born 1966), Dutch model and actress
• Aron Visser (born 1999), South African cricketer
• Atie Visser (1914–2014), Dutch resistance fighter during World War II
• Audrae Visser (1919–2001), American poet
• Barbara Visser (born 1977), Dutch politician
• Barbara Visser (artist) (born 1966), Dutch artist
• Barney Visser (born 1949), American businessman and racing team owner
• Beitske Visser (born 1995), Dutch racing driver
• Brian Visser (born 1987), American soccer goalkeeper
• Carel Visser (1928–2015), Dutch sculptor
• Christia Visser (born 1992), South African actress and singer
• Cor Visser (1903–1982), Dutch artist
• Cornelis Visser (born 1964), Dutch politician
• Danie Visser (born 1961), South African tennis player
• Dennis Visser (born 1993), South African rugby player
• Dennis Visser (speed skater) (born 1995), Dutch short track speed skater
• Eelco Visser (born 1966), Dutch computer scientist
• Elizabeth Visser (1908–1987), Dutch classical scholar
• Eric Visser (born 1951), Dutch publisher
• Esmee Visser (born 1996), Dutch speed skater
• Floris Visser (born 1983), Dutch opera director
• Gerrit Visser (1903–1984), Dutch footballer
• Gian Visser (born 1975), South African IT entrepreneur
• Guido Visser (born 1970), Canadian cross-country skier
• Guillaume Visser (1880–1952), Belgian rower
• Henk Visser (collector) (1923–2006), Dutch arms and armory collector
• Henk Visser (long jumper) (1932–2015), Dutch long jumper
• Henk Visser (pediatrician) (1930–2023), Dutch pediatrician
• Henk Visser (politician) (born 1946), Dutch politician
• Impi Visser (born 1995), South African rugby player
• Ingrid Visser (biologist) (born 1966), New Zealand marine biologist
• Ingrid Visser (volleyball) (1977–2013), Dutch volleyball player
• Jenny Visser-Hooft (1888–1939), Dutch traveler, mountaineer, and naturalist, wife of Philips Visser
• Jaco Visser (born c. 1970), South African rugby player
• John E. Visser (1920–1997), American University president
• Jurgen Visser (born 1989), South African rugby player
• Kevin Visser (born 1988), Dutch footballer
• Kyle Visser (born 1985), American basketball player
• Leo Visser (born 1966), Dutch speed skater
• Lesley Visser (born 1953), American sportscaster
• Lieuwe Visser [de; nl] (1940–2014), Dutch operatic baritone and singing teacher
• Lucie Visser (born 1958), Dutch model and actress
• Margaret Visser (born 1940), Canadian writer and broadcaster
• Marius Visser (born 1982), Namibian rugby player
• Mark Visser (born 1983), Australian surfer
• Mart Visser (born 1968), Dutch fashion designer
• Martinus Visser (1924–2008), Australian sailor
• Matt Visser, New Zealand mathematician
• Mattijs Visser (born 1958), Dutch organizer of art exhibitions
• Maura Visser (born 1985), Dutch handballer
• Nadine Visser (born 1995), Dutch heptathlete
• Naomi Visser (born 2001), Dutch artistic gymnast
• Nikki Visser (born 1975), Australian model, television presenter, and actress
• Paul Calvin Visser (born c. 1936), American mayor of Flint, Michigan
• Philips Christiaan Visser (1882–1955), Dutch geographer, explorer, mountaineer, and diplomat
• Peter Visser (born 1960), New Zealand cricketer
• Piet Visser, pseudonym of Belgian writer Lode Van Den Bergh (1920–2020)
• Ria Visser (born 1961), Dutch speed skater and TV commentator
• Robert Visser (1860–1937), German photographer
• Rod Visser, Canadian politician
• Rokus Bernardus Visser (1914–1977), Dutch and later Indonesian Military commander
• Sanna Visser (born 1984), Dutch volleyball player
• Sep Visser (born 1990), Dutch rugby union player
• Sim Visser (1908–1983), Dutch politician
• Susan Visser (born 1965), Dutch film actress
• Thijs Visser (born 1989), Aruban sailor
• Tim Visser (born 1987), Dutch rugby player representing Scotland; brother of Sep
• Wayne Visser (born 1970), South African writer, academic, social entrepreneur and futurist
• Werner Visser (born 1998), South African discus thrower
• Willem Jacob Visser (1915–1991), Dutch linguist
• Yge Visser (born 1963), Dutch chess player
• Yolandi Visser (born 1984), South African singer/rapper
• Yvonne Visser (born 1965), Canadian biathlete
• Zarck Visser (born 1989), South African long jumper

Compound names

• Haas Visser 't Hooft (1905–1977), Dutch field hockey player
• Willem Visser 't Hooft (1900–1985), Dutch secretary general of the World Council of Churches

References

1. Visser at the Database of Surnames in The Netherlands
2. Visser surname distribution