2000
#137,816
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Ermeling
A surname derived from the Middle High German word 'ermel', meaning sleeve or fur lining.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 120 Americans carry the last name Ermeling. That puts it at #152,989 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,856,286 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ermeling 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
120
1 in 2,856,286
Census rank
#152,989
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
105
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 105 bearers of the surname Ermeling in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152989th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ermeling, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.2%. The next largest groups are Black (1.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ermeling
The surname Ermeling is believed to have originated in Germany, likely in the early medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Old German word "armuoti," which means "poor" or "humble." This suggests that the name may have initially been given to someone of modest means or circumstances.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Ermeling can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae, a collection of historical documents from the region of Saxony, dating back to the 12th century. The name is also mentioned in various other medieval records and manuscripts from different parts of Germany.
The name Ermeling has undergone several spelling variations over the centuries, including Ermlinger, Ermlingher, and Ermling. These variations often reflect regional dialects and linguistic changes that occurred in different areas of Germany.
In the 15th century, a notable figure named Johann Ermeling (1420-1492) was a prominent scholar and theologian from the city of Erfurt. He was known for his contributions to the study of canon law and served as a professor at the University of Erfurt.
Another individual of historical significance was Christoph Ermeling (1559-1625), a German Protestant theologian and reformer from Saxony. He played a role in the development of the Lutheran church and wrote several works on theological subjects.
During the 16th century, the name Ermeling was also associated with a family of merchants and traders from the city of Lübeck, in northern Germany. One member of this family, Hans Ermeling (1520-1588), was a successful businessman and served as a councilman in Lübeck.
In the 18th century, a German mathematician and astronomer named Johann Baptist Ermeling (1726-1786) made significant contributions to the field of celestial mechanics. He worked as a professor at the University of Würzburg and published several treatises on astronomical calculations.
Another notable figure was Friedrich Ermeling (1786-1858), a German composer and music theorist from the city of Hanover. He composed various works for the church and wrote extensively on the theory and practice of music composition.
These are just a few examples of individuals throughout history who carried the surname Ermeling, showcasing its German origins and the diverse fields in which individuals with this name have made their mark.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ermeling
Among Census respondents with the surname Ermeling, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.2%. The next largest groups are Black (1.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Ermeling 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 Ermeling surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White96.2% · 101
- Black or African American1.9% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ermeling
Ermeling 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
#148,347
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
-1 bearers (-0.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 10,531 places
2020
#152,989
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
-6 bearers (-5.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 4,642 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #137,816 | 112 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #148,347 | 111 | 0.04 | -1 bearers (-0.9%) | Down 10,531 places |
| 2020 | #152,989 | 105 | 0.04 | -6 bearers (-5.4%) | Down 4,642 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 Ermeling 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 | #148,347 | #152,989 | -3.1% |
| Count | 111 | 105 | -5.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -12.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ermeling bearers went from 111 to 105 (-5.4% change). The surname moved down 4,642 positions in the national ranking, going from #148,347 to #152,989.
FAQ
Ermeling surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ermeling?
Name Census estimates that about 120 living Americans carry the surname Ermeling. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,856,286 residents.
How common is Ermeling?
Ermeling ranks #152,989 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 105 people with the surname Ermeling. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (120), 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 Ermeling.
Has Ermeling become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ermeling went from 111 recorded bearers to 105. That is a decrease of 6 (-5.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #148,347 to #152,989.
What does the Census say about the background of Ermeling?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ermeling, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.2%. The next largest groups are Black (1.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%). 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 Ermeling in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.2% (101 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ermeling appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (96.2%), Black (1.9%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%). 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 Ermeling (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 Ermeling mean?
A surname derived from the Middle High German word 'ermel', meaning sleeve or fur lining. 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 Ermeling (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 are called Ermeling?
Find out how many people have the surname Ermeling on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.