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

Behme, 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 Behme surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Behme in America

Behme is the 82317th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Behme surname appeared 229 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 Behme.

We can also compare 2010 data for Behme 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 Behme

The surname BEHME is of German origin and can be traced back to the early Middle Ages. It is believed to have originated from the Low German word "beme," which means "tree." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived near a prominent tree or in a wooded area.

The earliest recorded instances of the name date back to the 13th century in various regions of present-day Germany. One notable example is a reference to a person named "Johannes Behme" in a manuscript from the town of Lübeck, dated around 1275.

During the 14th and 15th centuries, the name appeared in various spellings, such as "Behme," "Beehme," and "Beyme," reflecting the regional variations and spelling conventions of the time. Some of these variations may have been influenced by the names of specific places or geographic features.

One of the earliest prominent figures with the surname BEHME was Jakob Böhme (1575-1624), a German Christian mystic and philosopher. His writings, particularly those on mysticism and theosophy, had a significant influence on Western esoteric thought.

Another notable individual was Johann Gottlieb Böhme (1717-1780), a German historian and philosopher who made significant contributions to the study of ancient Roman history and literature.

In the 19th century, Karl Böhme (1799-1884) was a German painter and lithographer known for his landscapes and architectural works, particularly those depicting the city of Dresden.

The name BEHME also gained recognition in the field of science with the German chemist and physicist Walter Böhme (1887-1962), who made important contributions to the study of molecular spectra and the development of infrared spectroscopy.

More recently, the German writer and journalist Gisela Böhme (1936-2021) gained prominence for her works exploring the intersection of literature, philosophy, and environmental issues.

While the surname BEHME has its roots in Germany, it has since spread to various parts of the world, including North America and other European countries, due to migration and cultural exchange.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Behme

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

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

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

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