Apotheker last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Apotheker

A German occupational surname meaning "apothecary" or "pharmacist".

Apotheker, 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 Apotheker surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Apotheker in America

Apotheker is the 147253rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Apotheker surname appeared 112 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 Apotheker.

The history of the last name Apotheker

The surname Apotheker originated in Germany during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the German word "Apotheker," which means "pharmacist" or "apothecary." The earliest known use of the name dates back to the 13th century, when it referred to individuals who worked in the profession of preparing and selling medicines and remedies.

In medieval times, apothecaries played an important role in society, as they were responsible for providing medical treatments and remedies to the public. The name Apotheker was likely given to individuals who worked in this trade, either as a descriptive surname or as a way to identify their occupation.

Some of the earliest recorded examples of the name Apotheker can be found in various historical documents from German-speaking regions. For instance, the name appears in the records of the city of Nuremberg in the 14th century, where several individuals with this surname were listed as apothecaries or pharmacists.

One notable historical figure with the surname Apotheker was Johannes Apotheker, a German pharmacist and alchemist who lived in the 15th century. He is known for his contributions to the study of alchemy and his writings on the preparation of various medicines and remedies.

Another individual of note was Hieronymus Apotheker, a German physician and botanist who lived in the 16th century. He authored several works on the medicinal properties of plants and contributed to the development of early pharmacology.

In the 17th century, Hans Apotheker was a prominent apothecary in the city of Frankfurt. He owned and operated a successful pharmacy and was respected for his expertise in the field of medicine and pharmaceuticals.

During the 18th century, the Apotheker family in the city of Cologne was renowned for their long-standing tradition of operating a respected apothecary business. The family had several members who worked as apothecaries and pharmacists over multiple generations.

The surname Apotheker can also be found in various historical records from other German-speaking regions, such as Austria and Switzerland, indicating the widespread presence of individuals with this occupation-based surname throughout Central Europe.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Apotheker

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

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 Apotheker was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 97.32% 109
Non-Hispanic Black Only (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only 0.00% 0
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.00% 0
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 0.00% 0
Hispanic Origin (S)% (S)

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.

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

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

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If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!

"Apotheker last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on July 16, 2025. http://namecensus.com/last-names/apotheker-surname-popularity/.

"Apotheker last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/apotheker-surname-popularity/. Accessed 16 July, 2025

Apotheker last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/apotheker-surname-popularity/.

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