2000
#2,814
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,693
First available Census row
Per 100,000 4.33
Uncommon Last name
Christman
A surname derived from the given name Christian, indicating the original bearer's faith or born on Christmas day.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 12,672 Americans carry the last name Christman. That puts it at #3,190 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.70 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 27,048 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Christman 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Christman with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
13K
1 in 27,048
Census rank
#3,190
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
11K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 11,051 bearers of the surname Christman in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.70 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3190th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Christman, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.3%) and Hispanic (3.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Christman
The surname Christman has its origins in Germany, where it first emerged in the Middle Ages. Derived from the German words "Christ" and "mann," which translate to "Christ" and "man," respectively, the name likely referred to a devout follower of Christianity or someone who was deeply religious.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Christman surname can be found in the 15th century Wunderlich Codex, a manuscript containing various legal documents from the region of Franconia in modern-day Germany. The codex mentions a certain Hans Christman, who was a landowner and farmer in the village of Rödental.
In the 16th century, the Christman name appeared in several church records from the town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber, indicating a presence of the family in that area. One notable individual from this period was Johann Christman, a Protestant reformer and theologian who lived from 1505 to 1567.
As the Christman family spread across German-speaking regions, variations in spelling began to appear, such as Christmann, Christtmann, and Kristmann. These different spellings were often influenced by local dialects and scribal practices.
In the 18th century, a branch of the Christman family migrated to the United States, settling in Pennsylvania. One of the earliest recorded Christmans in America was Johannes Christman, who arrived in Philadelphia in 1749 from the Palatinate region of Germany.
Another notable figure with the Christman surname was Friedrich Christmann, a German theologian and Orientalist who lived from 1618 to 1679. He was instrumental in introducing the study of Arabic and Persian languages to German universities.
In the 19th century, the Christman name gained prominence in the United States, with several individuals making significant contributions. James Christman, born in 1808 in Pennsylvania, was a prominent businessman and philanthropist who founded the Christman Knitting Machine Company.
Furthermore, John Christman, born in 1842 in Ohio, was a Union Army soldier during the American Civil War and later became a successful farmer and community leader in his home state.
While the Christman surname has its roots in Germany, it has since spread to various parts of the world, with individuals bearing this name leaving their mark across different fields and professions.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Christman
Among Census respondents with the surname Christman, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.3%) and Hispanic (3.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Christman 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 Christman surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.6% · 10,016
- Two or more races3.3% · 370
- Hispanic or Latino3.2% · 357
- Black or African American1.5% · 162
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 74
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 72
Timeline
Historical Census data for Christman
Christman 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
#2,988
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,987
+294 bearers (+2.5%)
Per 100,000 4.06
Rank movement Down 174 places
2020
#3,190
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,051
-936 bearers (-7.8%)
Per 100,000 3.70
Rank movement Down 202 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,814 | 11,693 | 4.33 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,988 | 11,987 | 4.06 | +294 bearers (+2.5%) | Down 174 places |
| 2020 | #3,190 | 11,051 | 3.70 | -936 bearers (-7.8%) | Down 202 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 Christman 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 | #2,988 | #3,190 | -6.8% |
| Count | 11,987 | 11,051 | -7.8% |
| Per 100K | 4.06 | 3.70 | -8.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Christman bearers went from 11,987 to 11,051 (-7.8% change). The surname moved down 202 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,988 to #3,190.
FAQ
Christman surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Christman?
Name Census estimates that about 12,672 living Americans carry the surname Christman. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 27,048 residents.
How common is Christman?
Christman ranks #3,190 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.70 per 100,000 residents, which is about 4 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 11,051 people with the surname Christman. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (12,672), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.7 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.70 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 4 of them to have the surname Christman.
Has Christman become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Christman went from 11,987 recorded bearers to 11,051. That is a decrease of 936 (-7.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #2,988 to #3,190.
What does the Census say about the background of Christman?
Among Census respondents with the surname Christman, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.3%) and Hispanic (3.2%). 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 Christman in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.6% (10,016 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Christman appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.6%), Two or More Races (3.3%), Hispanic (3.2%). 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 Christman (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 Christman mean?
A surname derived from the given name Christian, indicating the original bearer's faith or born on Christmas day. 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 Christman (3.70 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 people are called Christman?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the last name Christman on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.