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

Birkhimer, 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 Birkhimer surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Birkhimer in America

Birkhimer is the 49999th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Birkhimer surname appeared 419 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 Birkhimer.

We can also compare 2010 data for Birkhimer 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 Birkhimer

The surname BIRKHIMER is of German origin, and it can be traced back to the 16th century. It is believed to have originated in the regions of Bavaria and Saxony, where it was initially spelled as "Birckhimer" or "Birckheimer."

The name BIRKHIMER is likely derived from the Old German words "birke" and "heim," which translates to "birch home" or "birch homestead." This suggests that the earliest bearers of this surname may have lived in or near a place with an abundance of birch trees.

One of the earliest historical references to the name BIRKHIMER can be found in the records of the town of Nuremberg, Germany, where a person named Hans Birkhimer was mentioned in a document dated 1543.

In the 17th century, the name BIRKHIMER began to appear in various parts of Germany, as well as in neighboring regions such as Switzerland and Austria. One notable bearer of this surname from this period was Johann Philipp Birkhimer (1613-1688), a German jurist and author who wrote several legal treatises.

As German immigrants started to arrive in North America in the 18th and 19th centuries, the BIRKHIMER surname was also introduced to the United States and Canada. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name in America was Jacob Birkhimer, who was born in Pennsylvania in 1765.

Several individuals with the surname BIRKHIMER have made notable contributions throughout history. One such person was William E. Birkhimer (1855-1944), an American lawyer and military officer who served in the Spanish-American War and authored several books on military law.

Another prominent figure was Henry Birkhimer (1854-1927), an American civil engineer who was instrumental in the construction of the Panama Canal. He served as a member of the Isthmian Canal Commission and oversaw the design and construction of several key structures, including the Gatun Locks.

In the field of literature, Howard Birkhimer (1909-1981) was an American author and journalist who wrote several novels and short stories. His works often explored themes of adventure and the American West.

John Birkhimer (1917-2012) was a renowned American artist and painter, known for his landscapes and cityscapes depicting scenes from across the United States. His works are featured in numerous private and public collections.

Finally, William E. Birkhimer (1894-1974) was an American economist and academic who served as the president of Rutgers University from 1951 to 1959. He made significant contributions to the field of labor economics and played a key role in the growth and development of the university during his tenure.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Birkhimer

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

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

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

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