Visser
{{for|the novel in the Animorphs series|Visser (novel)}}
Visser ({{IPA|nl|ˈvɪ.sər|-|audio=Nl-Visser.ogg}}) 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.[http://www.cbgfamilienamen.nl/nfb/detail_naam.php?gba_lcnaam=visser&gba_naam=Visser&nfd_naam=Visser&operator=eq&taal= 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:
- 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:[https://forebears.io/surnames/visser Visser surname distribution]
- 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
- {{illm|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