2000
#43,708
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 465
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.17
Very Rare Last name
Futterman
A German surname likely derived from a location or occupation related to making or selling footwear.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 455 Americans carry the last name Futterman. That puts it at #55,761 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.13 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 753,306 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Futterman 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
455
1 in 753,306
Census rank
#55,761
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
397
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 397 bearers of the surname Futterman in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.13 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 55761st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Futterman, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Futterman
The surname Futterman is of Germanic origin, with roots tracing back to the Middle Ages in central Europe. It is believed to have derived from the German word "Futter," which means fodder or feed, and the suffix "-mann," meaning man or person. This suggests that the name may have originally referred to someone who worked with fodder or livestock.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Futterman can be found in the town records of Nuremberg, Germany, dating back to the late 15th century. In these records, a certain Hans Futterman is mentioned as a farmer and livestock owner in the year 1487.
In the 16th century, the name appears in various spellings, such as Futtermann, Futtermanne, and Futtermanschen, in various regions of modern-day Germany and Austria. These variations likely reflect local dialects and spelling conventions of the time.
The Futterman name is also linked to the town of Füttermanschen in the Rhineland region of Germany, which may have been named after an early settler or landowner with the surname. This town is mentioned in historical documents from the 17th century.
Notable individuals with the surname Futterman throughout history include Johann Futterman (1612-1678), a German scholar and theologian who authored several religious texts. Another prominent figure was Elise Futterman (1798-1872), a German-born American writer and activist who advocated for women's rights and the abolition of slavery.
In the 19th century, the name spread to other parts of Europe and beyond, with immigrants carrying the surname to countries like the United States, Canada, and Australia. One such individual was Jakob Futterman (1835-1901), a German immigrant who settled in Pennsylvania and worked as a blacksmith.
Other notable Futtermans include Hans Futterman (1901-1976), an Austrian-born composer and conductor who worked in Germany and the United States, and Lena Futterman (1921-2005), a Russian-born American artist and sculptor known for her abstract works.
While the Futterman name may have originated in a specific region or occupation, it has since been carried across continents and cultures, reflecting the rich tapestry of human migration and history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Futterman
Among Census respondents with the surname Futterman, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Futterman 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 Futterman surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.5% · 371
- Hispanic or Latino2.0% · 8
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.8% · 7
- Two or more races1.5% · 6
- Black or African American1.0% · 4
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Futterman
Futterman 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
#67,519
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 292
-173 bearers (-37.2%)
Per 100,000 0.10
Rank movement Down 23,811 places
2020
#55,761
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 397
+105 bearers (+36.0%)
Per 100,000 0.13
Rank movement Up 11,758 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #43,708 | 465 | 0.17 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #67,519 | 292 | 0.10 | -173 bearers (-37.2%) | Down 23,811 places |
| 2020 | #55,761 | 397 | 0.13 | +105 bearers (+36.0%) | Up 11,758 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 Futterman 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 | #67,519 | #55,761 | 17.4% |
| Count | 292 | 397 | 36.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.10 | 0.13 | 32.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Futterman bearers went from 292 to 397 (+36.0% change). The surname moved up 11,758 positions in the national ranking, going from #67,519 to #55,761.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Futterman
FAQ
Futterman surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Futterman?
Name Census estimates that about 455 living Americans carry the surname Futterman. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 753,306 residents.
How common is Futterman?
Futterman ranks #55,761 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.13 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 397 people with the surname Futterman. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (455), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.13 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.13 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 Futterman.
Has Futterman become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Futterman went from 292 recorded bearers to 397. That is an increase of 105 (+36.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #67,519 to #55,761.
What does the Census say about the background of Futterman?
Among Census respondents with the surname Futterman, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.8%). 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 Futterman in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.5% (371 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Futterman appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.5%), Hispanic (2.0%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.8%). 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 Futterman (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 Futterman mean?
A German surname likely derived from a location or occupation related to making or selling footwear. 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 Futterman (0.13 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 Americans have the surname Futterman?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.