Fosselman last name popularity, history, and meaning

Find out how popular the last name Fosselman is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Fosselman.

Meaning of Fosselman

An English surname meaning a gravedigger or cemetery worker.

Fosselman, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Fosselman surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Fosselman in America

Fosselman is the 68345th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Fosselman surname appeared 288 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Fosselman.

We can also compare 2010 data for Fosselman to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

20102000Change (%)
Rank68345671131.82%
Count2882754.62%
Proportion per 100k0.100.100.00%

The history of the last name Fosselman

The surname Fosselman originated in Germany during the late medieval period, around the 14th century. It is believed to have derived from the German word "Fosse," which means "ditch" or "moat," and the suffix "-mann," meaning "man." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived near a ditch or worked as a ditch digger.

The earliest known records of the name Fosselman can be found in the town of Nuremberg, located in the German state of Bavaria. In the 1400s, a family by the name of Fosselman was listed in the town's tax records, indicating their presence and likely occupation as ditch diggers or workers involved in the maintenance of the town's defense systems.

One of the earliest documented individuals bearing the name Fosselman was Hans Fosselman, born in Nuremberg in 1487. Records show that he was a skilled stonemason and worked on the construction of several notable buildings in the city, including the St. Lorenz Church.

Another notable Fosselman was Katharina Fosselman, born in 1523 in the town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber, located in the German state of Bavaria. She was a respected midwife and herbalist, known for her knowledge of traditional remedies and her dedication to assisting women during childbirth.

In the 17th century, the Fosselman family spread beyond Germany, with some members migrating to other parts of Europe. Johann Fosselman, born in 1612 in Nuremberg, was one of the first to settle in the Netherlands, where he became a successful merchant and trader.

As the name Fosselman continued to evolve, various spelling variations emerged, such as Fosselmann, Fosselman, and Foßelmann. These variations were often influenced by regional dialects and the preferences of individual families or scribes who recorded the name.

Other notable individuals with the surname Fosselman include:

  1. Wilhelm Fosselman (1789-1862), a German-born soldier who fought in the Napoleonic Wars.
  2. Anna Fosselman (1845-1923), a Swiss-born painter known for her landscape and still-life works.
  3. Otto Fosselman (1876-1951), a German-American engineer who contributed to the development of early automotive technology.
  4. Elise Fosselman (1901-1987), an Austrian-born novelist and playwright whose works explored themes of love, family, and societal norms.
  5. Kurt Fosselman (1927-2009), a German-born sculptor and installation artist whose works were exhibited in galleries across Europe.

While the surname Fosselman may not be as widely known as some other German surnames, it holds a rich history and has been carried by individuals from various backgrounds and occupations throughout the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Fosselman

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Fosselman.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

  1. White only
  2. Black only
  3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
  4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
  5. Hispanic
  6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Fosselman was:

Race/EthnicityPercentageTotal Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only72.22%208
Non-Hispanic Black Only15.28%44
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only(S)%(S)
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native2.78%8
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races(S)%(S)
Hispanic Origin7.99%23

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Fosselman has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

20102000Change (%)
White72.22%78.18%-7.93%
Black15.28%13.09%15.44%
Asian and Pacific Islander(S)%(S)%(S)%
American Indian and Alaskan Native2.78%(S)%(S)%
Two or More Races(S)%(S)%(S)%
Hispanic7.99%6.55%19.81%

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Fosselman was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Fosselman, please contact us.

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