2000
#116,123
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 139
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Closterman
A surname denoting someone who lived near or near a cloister or monastery.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 133 Americans carry the last name Closterman. 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 Closterman 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 Closterman 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 Closterman, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.4%) and Hispanic (2.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Closterman
The surname Closterman is believed to have originated in the German region, likely during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old German words "kloster," meaning "monastery," and "man," referring to a person. Therefore, Closterman likely referred to someone who lived or worked near a monastery.
One of the earliest known references to the name Closterman can be found in the Würzburg Codex, a medieval manuscript dating back to the 12th century. This document mentions a "Closterman von Würzburg," suggesting that the name was present in the Würzburg area during that time.
In the 14th century, there are records of a Closterman family living in the town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber, in present-day Bavaria, Germany. The name is mentioned in several local documents and tax records from that era.
The earliest known person with the surname Closterman was Johannes Closterman, born in 1656 in Osnabrück, Germany. He was a renowned painter who worked primarily in England and is known for his portraits of notable figures of the time, including King William III and Queen Mary II.
Another notable Closterman was Friedrich Closterman, born in 1712 in Hanover, Germany. He was a military officer who served in the Hanoverian Army and fought in the Seven Years' War. He later became a colonel and played a significant role in the defense of Hanover during the French Revolutionary Wars.
In the 19th century, the Closterman name can be found in various records from the German states, particularly in areas such as Saxony and Hesse. One prominent individual was Heinrich Closterman, born in 1823 in Dresden, Saxony. He was a renowned architect known for designing several notable buildings in Dresden, including the Semper Opera House.
Another Closterman of note was Karl Closterman, born in 1865 in Kassel, Hesse. He was a successful businessman who founded the Closterman Brewing Company, which became one of the largest breweries in the region during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
While the surname Closterman is primarily associated with Germany, it has also spread to other parts of Europe and beyond over the centuries, with individuals bearing this name contributing to various fields, including the arts, military, architecture, and business.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Closterman
Among Census respondents with the surname Closterman, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.4%) and Hispanic (2.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Closterman 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 Closterman surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.2% · 107
- Two or more races3.4% · 4
- Hispanic or Latino2.6% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Closterman
Closterman 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
#149,395
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
-29 bearers (-20.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 33,272 places
2020
#145,028
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
+6 bearers (+5.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 4,367 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #116,123 | 139 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #149,395 | 110 | 0.04 | -29 bearers (-20.9%) | Down 33,272 places |
| 2020 | #145,028 | 116 | 0.04 | +6 bearers (+5.5%) | Up 4,367 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 Closterman 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 | #149,395 | #145,028 | 2.9% |
| Count | 110 | 116 | 5.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -3.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Closterman bearers went from 110 to 116 (+5.5% change). The surname moved up 4,367 positions in the national ranking, going from #149,395 to #145,028.
FAQ
Closterman surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Closterman?
Name Census estimates that about 133 living Americans carry the surname Closterman. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,577,100 residents.
How common is Closterman?
Closterman 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 Closterman. 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 Closterman.
Has Closterman become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Closterman went from 110 recorded bearers to 116. That is an increase of 6 (+5.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #149,395 to #145,028.
What does the Census say about the background of Closterman?
Among Census respondents with the surname Closterman, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.4%) and Hispanic (2.6%). 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 Closterman in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.2% (107 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Closterman appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.2%), Two or More Races (3.4%), Hispanic (2.6%). 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 Closterman (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 Closterman mean?
A surname denoting someone who lived near or near a cloister or monastery. 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 Closterman (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 people have the surname Closterman?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.