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

Altemus, 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 Altemus surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Altemus in America

Altemus is the 30250th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Altemus surname appeared 774 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Altemus.

We can also compare 2010 data for Altemus 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 Altemus

The surname ALTEMUS originated in Germany, likely in the 17th or 18th century. It is derived from the German words "alt" meaning "old" and "mus" meaning "moss," suggesting an ancestral connection to an older location or homestead covered in moss.

The earliest known record of the ALTEMUS name appears in the Palatinate region of Germany in the late 17th century. It is believed to have been associated with a particular village or hamlet, though the exact location remains unclear.

In the 18th century, several ALTEMUS families immigrated to Pennsylvania, which was a popular destination for German settlers at the time. The name can be found in various colonial records and church registers from that period.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the ALTEMUS surname was Johann ALTEMUS, born around 1720 in Heidelberg, Germany. He later emigrated to Pennsylvania and settled in Bucks County.

Another notable early bearer of the name was Michael ALTEMUS, born in 1732 in the Palatinate region. He and his family were among the German immigrants who arrived in Philadelphia in 1752.

In the 19th century, the ALTEMUS name appeared in various historical records, including census data and military enlistment records. One such individual was William ALTEMUS, born in 1815 in Pennsylvania, who served in the Union Army during the American Civil War.

During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the ALTEMUS name became associated with publishing and education. Henry ALTEMUS (1836-1923) was a prominent publisher in Philadelphia, known for his extensive collection of children's books and educational materials.

Another significant figure was Jacob ALTEMUS (1859-1931), an educator and author who served as the principal of several schools in Pennsylvania and authored several textbooks on mathematics and teaching methods.

While the ALTEMUS surname is relatively uncommon today, it has a rich history rooted in the German migration to America, spanning several centuries and encompassing individuals from various walks of life.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Altemus

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

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 Altemus 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 Altemus 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 Altemus was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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