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

Asmus, 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 Asmus surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Asmus in America

Asmus is the 14854th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Asmus surname appeared 1,994 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Asmus.

We can also compare 2010 data for Asmus 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 Asmus

The surname Asmus originated in Germany, with its earliest roots dating back to the 13th century. The name is derived from the Germanic personal name Asmund, which is a compound of the elements "as" meaning "god" and "mund" meaning "protection." This suggests that the name was originally used to signify someone under divine protection or favor.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Asmus can be found in the parish records of Lübeck, a city in northern Germany, in the year 1290. This entry refers to a man named Asmus Wulfhagen, indicating that the surname was likely already in use as a hereditary designation by that time.

In the late medieval period, the name Asmus appeared in various records and manuscripts across northern Germany, particularly in the regions of Schleswig-Holstein and Mecklenburg. Some notable bearers of the name from this era include Asmus von Barner, a landowner mentioned in a 1412 deed from the city of Wismar, and Asmus Krull, a merchant documented in the town records of Lübeck in 1478.

As the name spread and evolved, various spelling variations emerged, such as Asmuß, Asmussen, and Asmussen. These variations often reflected regional dialects and scribal preferences. One notable figure who bore the Asmussen spelling was Johann Asmussen (1582-1649), a German Lutheran theologian and educator who served as the rector of the illustrious Gelehrtenschule des Johanneums in Hamburg.

Another prominent bearer of the name was Johann Clemens Asmus (1695-1762), a German jurist and legal scholar who served as a professor of law at the University of Greifswald. His works on Roman and Germanic law were highly influential in his time.

In the 19th century, the name Asmus gained further recognition with the life and works of Johann Jakob Asmus (1805-1859), a German philologist and translator who produced renowned translations of ancient Greek texts, including works by Plato and Aristotle.

Throughout its history, the surname Asmus has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including academics, clergy, merchants, and landowners. While its origins trace back to northern Germany, the name has since spread to other regions and countries, reflecting the mobility and migration patterns of its bearers over the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Asmus

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

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

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

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