2000
#10,152
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,918
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.08
Rare Last name
Ammerman
An occupational surname referring to an emir's man, a high-ranking official or commander in Arabic-speaking countries.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,198 Americans carry the last name Ammerman. That puts it at #10,909 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.93 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 107,178 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ammerman surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
3.2K
1 in 107,178
Census rank
#10,909
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,789 bearers of the surname Ammerman in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.93 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10909th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ammerman, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.0%) and Two or More Races (3.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ammerman
The surname Ammerman is of German origin and dates back to the 13th century. It is derived from the German word "Amtmann," which translates to "steward" or "bailiff." The name originated in the regions of modern-day Germany where it was used to identify individuals who held positions of authority or administrative roles within a feudal system.
In the early records, the name appeared with various spellings, including Amtmann, Ammann, and Ammermann. One of the earliest documented references to the name can be found in the Heidelberg Archives, where a certain Heinricus Amtmann is mentioned in a document dated 1287.
The surname Ammerman has been associated with several notable figures throughout history. One of the earliest recorded individuals bearing this name was Johann Ammerman (c. 1430-1495), a German merchant and trader who established trade routes between Germany and the Netherlands.
In the 16th century, the name gained prominence with Hans Ammerman (1535-1603), a renowned German theologian and author who wrote extensively on the Protestant Reformation. His works were influential during the religious conflicts of that era.
During the 17th century, the name appears in the records of the German settlement of Germantown, Pennsylvania, where a family by the name of Ammerman was among the early settlers. One notable member of this family was Jacob Ammerman (1670-1742), a farmer and landowner who played a significant role in the development of the Germantown community.
In the 19th century, August Ammerman (1824-1891), a German-American inventor and entrepreneur, made significant contributions to the field of agricultural machinery. He patented several innovative designs for farm equipment, which helped revolutionize farming practices in the United States.
Another notable figure was Wilhelm Ammerman (1875-1957), a German philosopher and educator who was instrumental in shaping the educational system in Germany during the early 20th century. His writings on pedagogy and educational reform were widely influential.
Throughout its history, the surname Ammerman has been associated with various place names, including Ammerthal, Ammerschweier, and Ammermühle, all of which are located in Germany and reflect the origins of the name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ammerman
Among Census respondents with the surname Ammerman, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.0%) and Two or More Races (3.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Ammerman bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Ammerman surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.6% · 2,554
- Hispanic or Latino4.0% · 111
- Two or more races3.1% · 86
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 18
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 12
- Black or African American0.3% · 8
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ammerman
Ammerman appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#10,440
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,081
+163 bearers (+5.6%)
Per 100,000 1.04
Rank movement Down 288 places
2020
#10,909
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,789
-292 bearers (-9.5%)
Per 100,000 0.93
Rank movement Down 469 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #10,152 | 2,918 | 1.08 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,440 | 3,081 | 1.04 | +163 bearers (+5.6%) | Down 288 places |
| 2020 | #10,909 | 2,789 | 0.93 | -292 bearers (-9.5%) | Down 469 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Ammerman surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #10,440 | #10,909 | -4.5% |
| Count | 3,081 | 2,789 | -9.5% |
| Per 100K | 1.04 | 0.93 | -10.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ammerman bearers went from 3,081 to 2,789 (-9.5% change). The surname moved down 469 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,440 to #10,909.
FAQ
Ammerman surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ammerman?
Name Census estimates that about 3,198 living Americans carry the surname Ammerman. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 107,178 residents.
How common is Ammerman?
Ammerman ranks #10,909 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.93 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,789 people with the surname Ammerman. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,198), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.93 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.93 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Ammerman.
Has Ammerman become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ammerman went from 3,081 recorded bearers to 2,789. That is a decrease of 292 (-9.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #10,440 to #10,909.
What does the Census say about the background of Ammerman?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ammerman, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.0%) and Two or More Races (3.1%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Ammerman in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.6% (2,554 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ammerman appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.6%), Hispanic (4.0%), Two or More Races (3.1%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Ammerman (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Ammerman mean?
An occupational surname referring to an emir's man, a high-ranking official or commander in Arabic-speaking countries. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Ammerman (0.93 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people share the surname Ammerman?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.