2000
#23,273
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,022
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.38
Rare Last name
Borgmann
A German surname derived from the words "burg" meaning fort or castle, and "mann" meaning man or worker.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,143 Americans carry the last name Borgmann. That puts it at #25,867 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.33 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 299,873 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Borgmann 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
1.1K
1 in 299,873
Census rank
#25,867
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
997
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 997 bearers of the surname Borgmann in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.33 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 25867th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Borgmann, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.1%) and Hispanic (1.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Borgmann
The surname BORGMANN has its origins in Germany, where it first appeared in the late 13th century. It is derived from the German word "Burg," meaning a fortified town or castle, and the suffix "mann," indicating a person. Thus, the name BORGMANN likely referred to someone who lived or worked in or near a fortified town or castle.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name BORGMANN can be found in the Stadtbücher (city records) of Cologne, Germany, from the year 1292, where a certain Hermannus Borchman is mentioned. Another early reference is found in the Urkundenbuch der Stadt Braunschweig (Book of Records of the City of Brunswick), which mentions a Henricus Borchman in 1305.
In the 14th century, variations of the name such as Borchmann, Burchman, and Borghman were common in various parts of Germany, particularly in the regions of Lower Saxony, Westphalia, and the Rhineland. The name was also found in the Hanseatic cities of northern Germany, where it may have referred to individuals involved in trade or guild activities.
One notable bearer of the name was Johann Borgmann, a German theologian and reformer who lived from 1515 to 1590. He was a supporter of Martin Luther and played a role in the spread of the Protestant Reformation in northern Germany.
Another individual of note was Johann Friedrich Borgmann (1766-1835), a German philologist and scholar who made significant contributions to the study of ancient Greek and Latin literature.
In the 19th century, the name BORGMANN was found among German immigrants to the United States, many of whom settled in the Midwestern states such as Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Illinois. One notable American bearer of the name was Henry Borgmann (1848-1925), a German-American businessman and philanthropist who founded the Borgmann Brothers Brewery in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Throughout its history, the surname BORGMANN has been associated with various professions, including military service, religious orders, academia, and business. While its origins can be traced back to medieval Germany, the name has since spread across the world, carried by German immigrants and their descendants.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Borgmann
Among Census respondents with the surname Borgmann, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.1%) and Hispanic (1.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Borgmann 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 Borgmann surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White95.1% · 948
- Two or more races2.1% · 21
- Hispanic or Latino1.4% · 14
- Black or African American0.7% · 7
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 6
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Borgmann
Borgmann 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
#24,822
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,003
-19 bearers (-1.9%)
Per 100,000 0.34
Rank movement Down 1,549 places
2020
#25,867
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 997
-6 bearers (-0.6%)
Per 100,000 0.33
Rank movement Down 1,045 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #23,273 | 1,022 | 0.38 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #24,822 | 1,003 | 0.34 | -19 bearers (-1.9%) | Down 1,549 places |
| 2020 | #25,867 | 997 | 0.33 | -6 bearers (-0.6%) | Down 1,045 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 Borgmann 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 | #24,822 | #25,867 | -4.2% |
| Count | 1,003 | 997 | -0.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.34 | 0.33 | -1.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Borgmann bearers went from 1,003 to 997 (-0.6% change). The surname moved down 1,045 positions in the national ranking, going from #24,822 to #25,867.
FAQ
Borgmann surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Borgmann?
Name Census estimates that about 1,143 living Americans carry the surname Borgmann. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 299,873 residents.
How common is Borgmann?
Borgmann ranks #25,867 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.33 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 997 people with the surname Borgmann. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,143), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.33 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.33 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 Borgmann.
Has Borgmann become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Borgmann went from 1,003 recorded bearers to 997. That is a decrease of 6 (-0.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #24,822 to #25,867.
What does the Census say about the background of Borgmann?
Among Census respondents with the surname Borgmann, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.1%) and Hispanic (1.4%). 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 Borgmann in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.1% (948 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Borgmann appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (95.1%), Two or More Races (2.1%), Hispanic (1.4%). 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 Borgmann (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 Borgmann mean?
A German surname derived from the words "burg" meaning fort or castle, and "mann" meaning man or worker. 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 Borgmann (0.33 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 Americans have the surname Borgmann?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.