2010
#146,201
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Fussman
A German surname meaning "foot soldier" or "infantryman."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 141 Americans carry the last name Fussman. That puts it at #139,785 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,430,882 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Fussman 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
141
1 in 2,430,882
Census rank
#139,785
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
123
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 123 bearers of the surname Fussman in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 139785th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Fussman, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (8.1%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Fussman
The surname Fussman is of German origin, originating from the Middle High German word "vuozman," which means "footman" or "foot soldier." This name likely emerged in the 12th or 13th century during the rise of feudalism and the establishment of military hierarchies in the Holy Roman Empire.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Fussman can be traced back to the 14th century in various regions of Germany, such as Bavaria, Saxony, and the Rhineland. Some of the earliest known bearers of this surname were Henrich Fussman, who was mentioned in a municipal record from the city of Heidelberg in 1367, and Konrad Fussman, a landowner from the village of Niederkalbach, whose name appeared in a land registry from 1392.
In the 15th century, the name Fussman began to appear in various forms and spellings, such as Fussmann, Fußmann, and Fussman, reflecting the diverse dialects and regional variations in the German language at the time. One notable bearer of this surname was Hans Fußmann, a master craftsman and member of the guild of shoemakers in the city of Nuremberg, who was mentioned in a guild record from 1487.
As the centuries passed, the Fussman name spread across different regions of Germany and beyond. In the 17th century, Johann Fussman (1621-1679), a Lutheran theologian and author, gained recognition for his scholarly works on biblical exegesis and church history. Another prominent figure was Friedrich Fussman (1738-1806), a Prussian military officer who served under Frederick the Great during the Seven Years' War.
In the 19th century, the Fussman name gained prominence in the field of academia and literature. One notable bearer was Franz Fussman (1811-1878), a German philosopher and writer who authored several works on ethics and social philosophy. Additionally, Karl Fussman (1865-1932), a German philologist and linguist, made significant contributions to the study of ancient Indian languages and literature.
Throughout its history, the Fussman surname has been borne by individuals from various walks of life, including artisans, scholars, military personnel, and professionals. While the name originated in Germany, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and diaspora, maintaining its distinct identity and cultural significance.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Fussman
Among Census respondents with the surname Fussman, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (8.1%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Fussman 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 Fussman surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.4% · 110
- Two or more races8.1% · 10
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.6% · 2
- Hispanic or Latino0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Fussman
Fussman appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#139,785
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 123
+10 bearers (+8.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 6,416 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #146,201 | 113 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #139,785 | 123 | 0.04 | +10 bearers (+8.8%) | Up 6,416 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 Fussman 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 | #146,201 | #139,785 | 4.4% |
| Count | 113 | 123 | 8.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 2.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Fussman bearers went from 113 to 123 (+8.8% change). The surname moved up 6,416 positions in the national ranking, going from #146,201 to #139,785.
FAQ
Fussman surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Fussman?
Name Census estimates that about 141 living Americans carry the surname Fussman. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,430,882 residents.
How common is Fussman?
Fussman ranks #139,785 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 123 people with the surname Fussman. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (141), 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 Fussman.
Has Fussman become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Fussman went from 113 recorded bearers to 123. That is an increase of 10 (+8.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #146,201 to #139,785.
What does the Census say about the background of Fussman?
Among Census respondents with the surname Fussman, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (8.1%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.6%). 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 Fussman in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.4% (110 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Fussman appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.4%), Two or More Races (8.1%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.6%). 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 Fussman (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 Fussman mean?
A German surname meaning "foot soldier" or "infantryman." 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 Fussman (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 Fussman?
You can see how many people have the last name Fussman on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.