2000
#144,908
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Fischmann
A surname indicating an occupation related to fishing or fishmonger.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 120 Americans carry the last name Fischmann. 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 Fischmann 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 Fischmann 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 Fischmann, the largest self-reported group is White at 75.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (18.1%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Fischmann
The surname Fischmann is of German origin, tracing its roots back to the Middle Ages. It originated in the regions of what is now modern-day Germany and Austria, where it was initially a descriptive name referring to someone who was a fisherman or fish merchant.
Fischmann is derived from the German words "Fisch," meaning fish, and "Mann," meaning man. The earliest recorded instances of this surname can be found in various medieval German records and chronicles, often associated with individuals involved in the fishing trade or residing in areas near bodies of water.
One of the earliest known bearers of the name Fischmann was Johannes Fischmann, a fisherman who lived in the town of Bremerhaven, Germany, in the late 15th century. His name is mentioned in local tax records from the year 1487.
In the 16th century, the Fischmann family was well-established in the city of Hamburg, where several members were documented as successful fish merchants and traders. Notable among them was Hans Fischmann (1521-1589), a prominent figure in the city's fishing industry and a member of the influential guild of fishmongers.
During the 17th and 18th centuries, the Fischmann surname spread throughout various regions of Germany and Austria, with branches of the family settling in cities such as Berlin, Munich, and Vienna. One notable figure from this period was Johann Georg Fischmann (1668-1743), a respected scholar and theologian from Saxony, who authored several influential works on religious philosophy.
As the surname evolved over time, variations in spelling emerged, including Fischman, Fischmahn, and Fischmann. In some regions, the name was also anglicized to Fishman or Fishmann for those who emigrated to English-speaking countries.
Other notable individuals bearing the Fischmann surname include Karl Fischmann (1819-1892), a German industrialist and inventor who pioneered several advancements in the textile industry, and Ida Fischmann (1867-1944), an Austrian artist and painter known for her vibrant landscapes and portraits.
In the 20th century, the Fischmann name gained international recognition through the work of Walter Fischmann (1912-2004), a renowned German-American physicist who made significant contributions to the fields of nuclear and particle physics, particularly in the development of particle accelerators.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Fischmann
Among Census respondents with the surname Fischmann, the largest self-reported group is White at 75.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (18.1%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Fischmann 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 Fischmann surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White75.2% · 79
- Hispanic or Latino18.1% · 19
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.9% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.9% · 2
- Two or more races1.9% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Fischmann
Fischmann 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
#150,452
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
+4 bearers (+3.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 5,544 places
2020
#152,989
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
-4 bearers (-3.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 2,537 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #144,908 | 105 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #150,452 | 109 | 0.04 | +4 bearers (+3.8%) | Down 5,544 places |
| 2020 | #152,989 | 105 | 0.04 | -4 bearers (-3.7%) | Down 2,537 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 Fischmann 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 | #150,452 | #152,989 | -1.7% |
| Count | 109 | 105 | -3.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -12.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Fischmann bearers went from 109 to 105 (-3.7% change). The surname moved down 2,537 positions in the national ranking, going from #150,452 to #152,989.
FAQ
Fischmann surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Fischmann?
Name Census estimates that about 120 living Americans carry the surname Fischmann. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,856,286 residents.
How common is Fischmann?
Fischmann 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 Fischmann. 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 Fischmann.
Has Fischmann become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Fischmann went from 109 recorded bearers to 105. That is a decrease of 4 (-3.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #150,452 to #152,989.
What does the Census say about the background of Fischmann?
Among Census respondents with the surname Fischmann, the largest self-reported group is White at 75.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (18.1%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.9%). 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 Fischmann in the 2020 Census, accounting for 75.2% (79 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Fischmann appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (75.2%), Hispanic (18.1%), Asian/Pacific Islander (2.9%). 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 Fischmann (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 Fischmann mean?
A surname indicating an occupation related to fishing or fishmonger. 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 Fischmann (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 Fischmann?
If you just want to know how many people have the last name Fischmann, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.