2000
#13,943
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,985
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.74
Rare Last name
Asmus
Derived from the Greek name Erasmus, meaning "beloved" or "desired."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,219 Americans carry the last name Asmus. That puts it at #14,732 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.65 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 154,463 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Asmus 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
2.2K
1 in 154,463
Census rank
#14,732
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,935 bearers of the surname Asmus in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.65 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14732nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Asmus, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.8%) and Two or More Races (2.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Asmus
Among Census respondents with the surname Asmus, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.8%) and Two or More Races (2.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Asmus 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 Asmus surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.8% · 1,815
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 54
- Two or more races2.1% · 40
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 14
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 7
- Black or African American0.3% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Asmus
Asmus 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
#14,854
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,994
+9 bearers (+0.5%)
Per 100,000 0.68
Rank movement Down 911 places
2020
#14,732
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,935
-59 bearers (-3.0%)
Per 100,000 0.65
Rank movement Up 122 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #13,943 | 1,985 | 0.74 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #14,854 | 1,994 | 0.68 | +9 bearers (+0.5%) | Down 911 places |
| 2020 | #14,732 | 1,935 | 0.65 | -59 bearers (-3.0%) | Up 122 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 Asmus 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 | #14,854 | #14,732 | 0.8% |
| Count | 1,994 | 1,935 | -3.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.68 | 0.65 | -4.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Asmus bearers went from 1,994 to 1,935 (-3.0% change). The surname moved up 122 positions in the national ranking, going from #14,854 to #14,732.
FAQ
Asmus surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Asmus?
Name Census estimates that about 2,219 living Americans carry the surname Asmus. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 154,463 residents.
How common is Asmus?
Asmus ranks #14,732 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.65 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 1,935 people with the surname Asmus. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,219), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.65 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.65 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 Asmus.
Has Asmus become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Asmus went from 1,994 recorded bearers to 1,935. That is a decrease of 59 (-3.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #14,854 to #14,732.
What does the Census say about the background of Asmus?
Among Census respondents with the surname Asmus, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.8%) and Two or More Races (2.1%). 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 Asmus in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.8% (1,815 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Asmus appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.8%), Hispanic (2.8%), Two or More Races (2.1%). 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 Asmus (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 Asmus mean?
Derived from the Greek name Erasmus, meaning "beloved" or "desired." 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 Asmus (0.65 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 have the last name Asmus?
For a quick modern take, check how many Americans have the surname Asmus on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.