2000
#142,819
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Aussem
A surname of German or Dutch origin meaning "from Aussem", referring to someone from the town of Aussem.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 138 Americans carry the last name Aussem. 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 Aussem 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 Aussem 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 Aussem, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.5%. The next largest groups are Black (1.7%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Aussem
The surname "AUSSEM" is believed to have originated in Germany, with its earliest known records dating back to the 16th century. It is thought to have derived from the German word "aussem," which translates to "from the" or "out of the," suggesting that the name may have referred to a person's place of origin or residence.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name "AUSSEM" can be found in the archives of the town of Aachen, where a certain Hans Aussem was mentioned in a legal document from the year 1567. This document suggests that the family may have had ties to the region around Aachen, which was known for its textile industry during that time.
In the 17th century, the name "AUSSEM" appeared in several church records across various regions of Germany, indicating that the family had begun to spread out and establish themselves in different parts of the country. One notable entry comes from the baptismal records of St. Peter's Church in Berlin, where a child named Johann Aussem was baptized in 1674.
As the centuries progressed, the "AUSSEM" surname continued to be found in various German records and documents, although its prevalence remained relatively low compared to other more common surnames. Notable individuals bearing the name include:
1. Wilhelm Aussem (1802-1879), a German painter and lithographer known for his landscapes and architectural works.
2. Helene Aussem (1848-1923), a German opera singer who performed at the Leipzig Opera House and the Berlin State Opera.
3. Otto Aussem (1876-1941), a German engineer and inventor who patented several innovations in the field of mechanical engineering.
4. Erich Aussem (1909-1993), a German writer and journalist who published several novels and short stories during the mid-20th century.
5. Petra Aussem (born 1964), a contemporary German artist known for her abstract paintings and mixed-media works.
While the name "AUSSEM" may have had its origins in specific regions of Germany, it eventually spread to other parts of Europe and beyond, as people bearing the surname migrated and settled in new areas. However, due to its relatively low frequency, detailed historical records and references to the name remain somewhat limited compared to more widespread surnames.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Aussem
Among Census respondents with the surname Aussem, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.5%. The next largest groups are Black (1.7%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Aussem 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 Aussem surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White97.5% · 117
- Black or African American1.7% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Aussem
Aussem 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
#141,140
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
+11 bearers (+10.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 1,679 places
2020
#142,049
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
+2 bearers (+1.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 909 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #142,819 | 107 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #141,140 | 118 | 0.04 | +11 bearers (+10.3%) | Up 1,679 places |
| 2020 | #142,049 | 120 | 0.04 | +2 bearers (+1.7%) | Down 909 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 Aussem 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 | #141,140 | #142,049 | -0.6% |
| Count | 118 | 120 | 1.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 0.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Aussem bearers went from 118 to 120 (+1.7% change). The surname moved down 909 positions in the national ranking, going from #141,140 to #142,049.
FAQ
Aussem surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Aussem?
Name Census estimates that about 138 living Americans carry the surname Aussem. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,483,727 residents.
How common is Aussem?
Aussem 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 Aussem. 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 Aussem.
Has Aussem become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Aussem went from 118 recorded bearers to 120. That is an increase of 2 (+1.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #141,140 to #142,049.
What does the Census say about the background of Aussem?
Among Census respondents with the surname Aussem, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.5%. The next largest groups are Black (1.7%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.8%). 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 Aussem in the 2020 Census, accounting for 97.5% (117 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Aussem appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (97.5%), Black (1.7%), American Indian/Alaska Native (0.8%). 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 Aussem (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 Aussem mean?
A surname of German or Dutch origin meaning "from Aussem", referring to someone from the town of Aussem. 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 Aussem (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 many people have the surname Aussem?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.