Find out how popular the last name Ackerman is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Ackerman.

Ackerman, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Ackerman surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Ackerman in America

Ackerman is the 1398th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Ackerman surname appeared 25,401 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 9 people would have the surname Ackerman.

We can also compare 2010 data for Ackerman to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Ackerman

The surname Ackerman is of German origin, with its earliest recorded use dating back to the 16th century. The name is derived from the Middle High German word "acker," meaning "field" or "acre," combined with the word "man," signifying a person who worked or lived on a field or farm.

Ackerman is believed to have originated in the German states of Bavaria and Saxony, where many early records of the name can be found. In the 16th century, the name appeared in various forms, such as Ackermann, Ackerman, and Ackermann, reflecting regional spelling variations.

One of the earliest documented references to the name Ackerman can be found in the Kirchenbücher, or church records, of the town of Nördlingen in Bavaria, dating back to the late 16th century. These records mention several individuals with the surname Ackerman, indicating that the name was well-established in the region at that time.

As the name Ackerman spread throughout Germany and other parts of Europe, it was often associated with people who worked in agriculture or owned land. In some instances, the name may have been derived from specific place names containing the word "acker," such as Ackerstedt or Ackerhof.

Notable individuals with the surname Ackerman include:

1. Hans Ackerman (1549-1618), a German painter and engraver known for his religious and mythological works.
2. Rudolph Ackerman (1764-1834), a German-born British publisher and bookseller who established the Ackermann's Repository of Arts, a influential 19th-century periodical.
3. Carl Wilhelm Ackermann (1808-1879), a German artist and lithographer renowned for his landscape and architectural prints.
4. Louise Ackerman (1813-1890), a French poet and writer who published several volumes of poetry and prose.
5. Sophie Ackermann (1872-1945), a German-American philanthropist and social worker who founded the Ackermann Institute for Family Therapy.

The surname Ackerman has traveled across borders and continents, carried by immigrants and families seeking new opportunities. While its origins can be traced back to rural Germany, the name has become a part of the cultural tapestry of many nations, reflecting the diverse histories and experiences of those who bear it.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Ackerman

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Ackerman.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Ackerman was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Ackerman has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Ackerman was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Ackerman, please contact us.

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