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

Altman, 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 Altman surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Altman in America

Altman is the 2217th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Altman surname appeared 16,448 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 6 people would have the surname Altman.

We can also compare 2010 data for Altman 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 Altman

The surname Altman originated in Germany, with records dating back to the 13th century. It is derived from the German words "alt" meaning old and "mann" meaning man, likely referring to an elderly or venerable individual. The name was initially found in southern regions of Germany, such as Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg.

Early variations of the spelling included Altemann, Altemannus, and Altemanger. The name is believed to have evolved from a descriptive nickname or occupational label for an elderly person or an elder of a community. In medieval times, such surnames were common as a way to distinguish individuals within small settlements.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Altman can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae, a collection of medieval documents from Saxony, dating back to 1286. The entry mentions a "Johannes Altman" who was a resident of the town of Meissen.

In the 14th century, the name appeared in various records across German-speaking regions, including the Stadtbücher (city books) of Nuremberg and the Württembergisches Urkundenbuch, a collection of historical documents from the state of Württemberg.

Notable individuals bearing the surname Altman throughout history include:

1. Johannes Altman (c. 1350 - 1420), a German theologian and philosopher who taught at the University of Prague.
2. Hans Altman (1578 - 1638), a German composer and organist from Nuremberg, known for his sacred works.
3. Michał Altman (1610 - 1675), a Polish-Lithuanian nobleman and military officer who fought in the Khmelnytsky Uprising.
4. Johann Gottfried Altman (1720 - 1793), a German mathematician and astronomer who made significant contributions to the study of comets.
5. Viktor Altman (1869 - 1919), a Russian revolutionary and political activist, who was a member of the Bolshevik Party.

The surname Altman has also been associated with several place names in Germany, such as Altmannsdorf, a village in Saxony-Anhalt, and Altmannstein, a town in Bavaria. These toponyms likely originated from individuals bearing the surname who settled in or established these localities.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Altman

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

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

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

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