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

Bollman, 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 Bollman surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Bollman in America

Bollman is the 10365th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Bollman surname appeared 3,110 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 Bollman.

We can also compare 2010 data for Bollman 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 Bollman

The surname Bollman has its origins in medieval Germany, dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old German word "bolle," which referred to a rounded, bulbous object. This word likely evolved into a nickname for someone of a stout or plump stature.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the Bollman name can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus, a collection of historical documents from the region of Saxony, dating back to 1287. This document references a certain "Henricus Bollman" in the town of Borna.

In the 14th century, variations of the name, such as "Bolman" and "Bollemann," began to appear in various records across northern Germany, particularly in the regions of Lower Saxony and Bremen. It is possible that the name may have originated as a descriptive surname for someone involved in the production or handling of rounded objects, such as cannonballs or other spherical items.

During the 16th century, the Bollman surname gained prominence in the city of Hamburg, where records show several individuals bearing this name, including a merchant named Johann Bollman (1529-1598) and a shipbuilder named Hans Bollman (1571-1639).

In the 17th century, the name spread further across Europe, with notable examples including the German writer and philosopher Christian Bollmann (1640-1712) and the Swedish mathematician and engineer Jacob Bollmann (1672-1744).

As the Bollman family continued to expand and migrate, the name found its way to other parts of the world, including the Americas. One notable figure was the German-American physician and politician Lewis C. Bollmann (1816-1892), who served as a member of the Pennsylvania State Senate.

Other prominent individuals with the Bollman surname include the German-American civil engineer Wendell Bollman (1814-1884), known for his innovative designs of iron bridges, and the American naval officer Charles H. Bollman (1847-1917), who played a significant role in the Spanish-American War.

Throughout its history, the Bollman surname has maintained a strong presence in various regions of Germany, as well as in areas with significant German immigration, such as the United States and other parts of North America.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Bollman

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

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

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

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