2000
#139,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Bueltmann
A German surname meaning "from/of Böel(s)torf" after the village of that name.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 133 Americans carry the last name Bueltmann. That puts it at #145,028 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,577,100 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bueltmann 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
133
1 in 2,577,100
Census rank
#145,028
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
116
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 116 bearers of the surname Bueltmann in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 145028th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bueltmann, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.0%) and Black (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bueltmann
The surname Bueltmann originates from the northern regions of Germany, particularly in the areas surrounding the city of Hamburg. It is believed to have emerged during the late medieval period, around the 14th or 15th century.
Bueltmann is derived from the Low German words "Bült" and "Mann," which translates to "hill man" or "man from the hill." This suggests that the name was likely given to individuals who lived or worked on or near a hill or elevated terrain.
One of the earliest known references to the name Bueltmann can be found in the records of the Hanseatic League, a powerful commercial and defensive confederation of merchant guilds and market towns in Northern Europe. The Bueltmann family is mentioned in connection with trade activities in the city of Lübeck in the late 15th century.
In the 16th century, records show that a prominent family with the surname Bueltmann owned a substantial estate and farmlands in the village of Rellingen, located near Hamburg. This family played a significant role in the local agricultural and political affairs of the region.
Notable individuals with the surname Bueltmann throughout history include Johann Bueltmann (1598-1672), a respected theologian and philosopher who served as a professor at the University of Rostock in the 17th century. Another figure was Gerhard Bueltmann (1727-1803), a renowned architect and urban planner who designed several notable buildings in Hamburg and the surrounding areas.
In the 19th century, a branch of the Bueltmann family migrated to the United States, settling in the state of Wisconsin. One of the earliest recorded individuals from this lineage was Heinrich Bueltmann (1824-1891), who established a successful farming operation in the town of Germantown.
Another notable figure was Emma Bueltmann (1870-1945), a pioneering educator and advocate for women's rights. She founded several schools for girls in the Milwaukee area and was actively involved in the suffrage movement.
Throughout its history, the surname Bueltmann has been associated with various occupations, including farming, theology, architecture, and education. While its origins can be traced back to the hill regions of northern Germany, the name has since spread to various parts of the world, carried by individuals and families who have made significant contributions to their respective communities.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bueltmann
Among Census respondents with the surname Bueltmann, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.0%) and Black (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Bueltmann 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 Bueltmann surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.7% · 104
- Two or more races6.0% · 7
- Black or African American1.7% · 2
- Hispanic or Latino1.7% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bueltmann
Bueltmann 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
#126,765
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 135
+25 bearers (+22.7%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Up 12,992 places
2020
#145,028
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
-19 bearers (-14.1%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 18,263 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #139,757 | 110 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #126,765 | 135 | 0.05 | +25 bearers (+22.7%) | Up 12,992 places |
| 2020 | #145,028 | 116 | 0.04 | -19 bearers (-14.1%) | Down 18,263 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 Bueltmann 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 | #126,765 | #145,028 | -14.4% |
| Count | 135 | 116 | -14.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.04 | -22.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bueltmann bearers went from 135 to 116 (-14.1% change). The surname moved down 18,263 positions in the national ranking, going from #126,765 to #145,028.
FAQ
Bueltmann surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bueltmann?
Name Census estimates that about 133 living Americans carry the surname Bueltmann. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,577,100 residents.
How common is Bueltmann?
Bueltmann ranks #145,028 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 116 people with the surname Bueltmann. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (133), 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 Bueltmann.
Has Bueltmann become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bueltmann went from 135 recorded bearers to 116. That is a decrease of 19 (-14.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #126,765 to #145,028.
What does the Census say about the background of Bueltmann?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bueltmann, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.0%) and Black (1.7%). 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 Bueltmann in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.7% (104 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bueltmann appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.7%), Two or More Races (6.0%), Black (1.7%). 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 Bueltmann (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 Bueltmann mean?
A German surname meaning "from/of Böel(s)torf" after the village of that name. 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 Bueltmann (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 Americans have the surname Bueltmann?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.