2000
#120,330
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 133
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Ebmeier
A German surname derived from the elements "eben" meaning "flat" and "mäher" meaning "mower".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 150 Americans carry the last name Ebmeier. That puts it at #133,930 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,285,029 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ebmeier 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
150
1 in 2,285,029
Census rank
#133,930
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
131
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 131 bearers of the surname Ebmeier in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 133930th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ebmeier, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.2%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (1.5%) and Two or More Races (1.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ebmeier
The surname Ebmeier has its roots in Germany, originating in the 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the Low German word "Ebmeier," which translates to "meadow steward" or "overseer of the meadows." This suggests that the earliest bearers of this name may have been involved in the management or administration of grasslands and pastures.
The name first appeared in historical records from the region of Lower Saxony, particularly in the areas around the cities of Hanover and Bremen. It is possible that the name was initially a occupational surname, given to individuals responsible for overseeing the meadows and ensuring their proper maintenance.
One of the earliest documented references to the Ebmeier name can be found in the parish records of St. Martini Church in the city of Bremen, dated 1587. This record mentions a certain Johann Ebmeier, who was a landowner and farmer in the surrounding countryside.
In the 17th century, the Ebmeier family spread to other parts of Germany, with some members settling in the states of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and Schleswig-Holstein. Notable individuals from this period include Hans Ebmeier (1622-1698), a respected merchant and banker in the city of Lübeck, and Katharina Ebmeier (1638-1712), a renowned herbalist and midwife from the town of Güstrow.
During the 18th and 19th centuries, several Ebmeier families emigrated from Germany to other parts of Europe and the Americas. One such individual was Friedrich Ebmeier (1781-1854), who left his hometown of Hanover and settled in the Russian Empire, where he became a successful landowner and farmer in the region of Volga.
In the United States, the Ebmeier name can be traced back to the mid-19th century, with the arrival of immigrants from Germany. One of the earliest recorded Ebmeiers in America was Johann Ebmeier (1820-1892), who settled in the city of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and worked as a carpenter and builder.
Other notable individuals with the Ebmeier surname include Wilhelm Ebmeier (1857-1932), a German physicist and inventor known for his contributions to the development of the telephone and early radio technologies, and Gerhard Ebmeier (1918-2008), a German-American artist and sculptor whose works were widely exhibited in galleries across Europe and the United States.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ebmeier
Among Census respondents with the surname Ebmeier, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.2%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (1.5%) and Two or More Races (1.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Ebmeier 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 Ebmeier surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White96.2% · 126
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.5% · 2
- Two or more races1.5% · 2
- Black or African American0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ebmeier
Ebmeier 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
#123,064
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 140
+7 bearers (+5.3%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Down 2,734 places
2020
#133,930
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 131
-9 bearers (-6.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 10,866 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #120,330 | 133 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #123,064 | 140 | 0.05 | +7 bearers (+5.3%) | Down 2,734 places |
| 2020 | #133,930 | 131 | 0.04 | -9 bearers (-6.4%) | Down 10,866 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 Ebmeier 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 | #123,064 | #133,930 | -8.8% |
| Count | 140 | 131 | -6.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.04 | -12.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ebmeier bearers went from 140 to 131 (-6.4% change). The surname moved down 10,866 positions in the national ranking, going from #123,064 to #133,930.
FAQ
Ebmeier surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ebmeier?
Name Census estimates that about 150 living Americans carry the surname Ebmeier. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,285,029 residents.
How common is Ebmeier?
Ebmeier ranks #133,930 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 131 people with the surname Ebmeier. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (150), 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 Ebmeier.
Has Ebmeier become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ebmeier went from 140 recorded bearers to 131. That is a decrease of 9 (-6.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #123,064 to #133,930.
What does the Census say about the background of Ebmeier?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ebmeier, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.2%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (1.5%) and Two or More Races (1.5%). 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 Ebmeier in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.2% (126 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ebmeier appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (96.2%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.5%), Two or More Races (1.5%). 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 Ebmeier (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 Ebmeier mean?
A German surname derived from the elements "eben" meaning "flat" and "mäher" meaning "mower". 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 Ebmeier (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 common is the surname Ebmeier?
See how many people have the surname Ebmeier on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.