2000
#11,423
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,531
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.94
Rare Last name
Engelman
An occupational surname referring to someone from England or an English-speaking person.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,773 Americans carry the last name Engelman. That puts it at #12,289 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.81 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 123,604 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Engelman 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
2.8K
1 in 123,604
Census rank
#12,289
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,418 bearers of the surname Engelman in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.81 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 12289th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Engelman, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.8%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Engelman
The surname Engelman is of German origin and dates back to the Middle Ages. It is believed to have originated in the region of Bavaria, where it was derived from the German word "Engel," meaning "angel." The name likely referred to someone who lived near a church or monastery dedicated to an angel or who worked as a servant or attendant in such a place.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Engelman can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus, a collection of medieval charters and documents from the region of Saxony, dating back to the 12th century. The name appears in various spellings, such as "Engelmann," "Engelmannus," and "Engelman."
In the Domesday Book, a comprehensive record of landholdings and population in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086, there are no direct references to the surname Engelman. However, there are entries for individuals with similar names, such as "Engelram" and "Engelbert," which may have been related to the Engelman name.
One notable historical figure with the surname Engelman was Hans Engelman, a German painter and engraver who lived in the 16th century (c. 1499–1563). He was known for his religious works and portraits and was active in the cities of Nuremberg and Augsburg.
Another prominent individual was Johann Engelmann (1456–1541), a German humanist and theologian who played a significant role in the Protestant Reformation. He was a close associate of Martin Luther and served as a professor at the University of Wittenberg.
In the 17th century, Andreas Engelman (1565–1633) was a German mathematician and astronomer. He made contributions to the study of spherical trigonometry and is known for his work on the calculation of eclipses.
During the 18th century, Johann Jakob Engelman (1702–1756) was a Swiss botanist and physician. He made significant contributions to the study of plant taxonomy and authored several works on the flora of Switzerland.
In the 19th century, Raphael Engelman (1838–1906) was a German-born American businessman and philanthropist. He founded the Engelman Botanical Club in St. Louis, Missouri, and played a vital role in the establishment of the Missouri Botanical Garden.
While the surname Engelman has its roots in Germany, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly through migration and settlement patterns. However, the historical records and notable individuals mentioned above provide insight into the long-standing presence and significance of this name throughout various periods of history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Engelman
Among Census respondents with the surname Engelman, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.8%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Engelman 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 Engelman surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.8% · 2,268
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 68
- Two or more races2.7% · 65
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.3% · 7
- Black or African American0.2% · 6
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Engelman
Engelman 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
#11,836
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,645
+114 bearers (+4.5%)
Per 100,000 0.90
Rank movement Down 413 places
2020
#12,289
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,418
-227 bearers (-8.6%)
Per 100,000 0.81
Rank movement Down 453 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #11,423 | 2,531 | 0.94 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #11,836 | 2,645 | 0.90 | +114 bearers (+4.5%) | Down 413 places |
| 2020 | #12,289 | 2,418 | 0.81 | -227 bearers (-8.6%) | Down 453 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 Engelman 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 | #11,836 | #12,289 | -3.8% |
| Count | 2,645 | 2,418 | -8.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.90 | 0.81 | -10.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Engelman bearers went from 2,645 to 2,418 (-8.6% change). The surname moved down 453 positions in the national ranking, going from #11,836 to #12,289.
FAQ
Engelman surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Engelman?
Name Census estimates that about 2,773 living Americans carry the surname Engelman. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 123,604 residents.
How common is Engelman?
Engelman ranks #12,289 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.81 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,418 people with the surname Engelman. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,773), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.81 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.81 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Engelman.
Has Engelman become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Engelman went from 2,645 recorded bearers to 2,418. That is a decrease of 227 (-8.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #11,836 to #12,289.
What does the Census say about the background of Engelman?
Among Census respondents with the surname Engelman, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.8%) and Two or More Races (2.7%). 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 Engelman in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.8% (2,268 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Engelman appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.8%), Hispanic (2.8%), Two or More Races (2.7%). 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 Engelman (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 Engelman mean?
An occupational surname referring to someone from England or an English-speaking person. 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 Engelman (0.81 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 last name Engelman?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the last name Engelman on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.