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

Appelbaum, 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 Appelbaum surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Appelbaum in America

Appelbaum is the 20709th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Appelbaum surname appeared 1,277 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 Appelbaum.

We can also compare 2010 data for Appelbaum 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 Appelbaum

The surname Appelbaum is of German origin, derived from the words "appel" meaning apple and "baum" meaning tree, indicating that the name likely originated from an area known for its orchards or apple cultivation. The earliest recorded instances of the name can be traced back to the 16th century in the regions of Bavaria and Saxony.

One of the earliest documented references to the name Appelbaum can be found in the municipal records of the town of Nuremberg, dating back to 1587, where a certain Hans Appelbaum was listed as a local orchard owner. This suggests that the name may have initially been an occupational surname, given to individuals involved in the cultivation or trade of apples.

During the 17th and 18th centuries, the Appelbaum family appeared to have spread across various regions of Germany, with records indicating their presence in cities such as Leipzig, Frankfurt, and Berlin. Notable individuals from this time period include Johann Appelbaum (1629-1698), a respected Lutheran theologian and author from Saxony, and Anna Maria Appelbaum (1683-1757), a renowned midwife from Bavaria.

As the 19th century dawned, the Appelbaum name began to appear in other parts of Europe, likely due to migration and the industrialization of various regions. One notable figure from this era was Carl Appelbaum (1811-1878), a German-born engineer who played a significant role in the construction of the first railway system in Belgium.

The 20th century saw the Appelbaum name spread further across the globe, with individuals bearing this surname making contributions in various fields. For instance, Robert Appelbaum (1904-1988) was a prominent American lawyer and civil rights activist, while David Appelbaum (1925-2003) was an Israeli physicist and academic who made significant contributions to the field of nuclear physics.

Throughout its history, the surname Appelbaum has been associated with a variety of occupations and achievements, ranging from agriculture and theology to engineering and academia, highlighting the diverse paths taken by those who bear this name.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Appelbaum

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

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

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

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