2000
#137,816
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Arensmeyer
From a place name referring to someone living near a valley with eagles.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 138 Americans carry the last name Arensmeyer. That puts it at #142,049 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,483,727 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Arensmeyer 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
138
1 in 2,483,727
Census rank
#142,049
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
120
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 120 bearers of the surname Arensmeyer in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142049th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Arensmeyer, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Arensmeyer
The surname Arensmeyer has its origins in Germany, dating back to the early 16th century. It is believed to have originated from the German word "Arendsmeier," which translates to "land overseer" or "steward of the eagle." This suggests that the earliest bearers of this name were likely individuals who held administrative or managerial roles related to land or property.
The name Arensmeyer can be traced back to various regions within Germany, particularly in the areas of Lower Saxony and Westphalia. It is possible that the name was derived from a place name or a combination of words describing a specific location or estate.
Historical records from the 16th and 17th centuries mention individuals with the surname Arensmeyer, although specific details are scarce. One of the earliest known references to the name can be found in a document from the town of Osnabrück, dated 1567, which listed a certain Johannes Arensmeyer as a landowner.
As the name spread across different regions of Germany, variations in spelling emerged, including Arensmeier, Ahrensmeyer, and Arendsmeier. These variations were likely influenced by regional dialects and the preferences of local scribes or record-keepers.
Notable individuals bearing the surname Arensmeyer throughout history include:
1. Heinrich Arensmeyer (1632-1698), a German Lutheran theologian and author from Minden, Westphalia.
2. Anna Elisabetha Arensmeyer (1670-1742), a prominent businesswoman and landowner from Hamburg.
3. Johann Friedrich Arensmeyer (1721-1796), a German composer and organist who served in various churches in Lower Saxony.
4. Karl Arensmeyer (1854-1918), a German politician and lawyer who served as a member of the Reichstag (German parliament) in the late 19th century.
5. Gerhard Arensmeyer (1905-1986), a German-American architect who designed several notable buildings in New York City and Long Island.
While the surname Arensmeyer is not among the most common in Germany, it has endured through the centuries, carrying with it a rich history and connections to various regions and professions within the country.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Arensmeyer
Among Census respondents with the surname Arensmeyer, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Arensmeyer 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 Arensmeyer surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.0% · 108
- Hispanic or Latino3.3% · 4
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.5% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native2.5% · 3
- Two or more races1.7% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Arensmeyer
Arensmeyer 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
#142,108
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
+5 bearers (+4.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 4,292 places
2020
#142,049
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
+3 bearers (+2.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 59 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #137,816 | 112 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #142,108 | 117 | 0.04 | +5 bearers (+4.5%) | Down 4,292 places |
| 2020 | #142,049 | 120 | 0.04 | +3 bearers (+2.6%) | Up 59 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 Arensmeyer 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 | #142,108 | #142,049 | 0.0% |
| Count | 117 | 120 | 2.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 0.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Arensmeyer bearers went from 117 to 120 (+2.6% change). The surname moved up 59 positions in the national ranking, going from #142,108 to #142,049.
FAQ
Arensmeyer surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Arensmeyer?
Name Census estimates that about 138 living Americans carry the surname Arensmeyer. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,483,727 residents.
How common is Arensmeyer?
Arensmeyer ranks #142,049 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 120 people with the surname Arensmeyer. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (138), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Arensmeyer.
Has Arensmeyer become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Arensmeyer went from 117 recorded bearers to 120. That is an increase of 3 (+2.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #142,108 to #142,049.
What does the Census say about the background of Arensmeyer?
Among Census respondents with the surname Arensmeyer, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.5%). 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 Arensmeyer in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.0% (108 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Arensmeyer appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.0%), Hispanic (3.3%), Asian/Pacific Islander (2.5%). 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 Arensmeyer (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 Arensmeyer mean?
From a place name referring to someone living near a valley with eagles. 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 Arensmeyer (0.04 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 common is the surname Arensmeyer?
Want to know how many people have the surname Arensmeyer? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.