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

German, 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 German surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of German in America

German is the 2182nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The German surname appeared 16,661 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 6 people would have the surname German.

We can also compare 2010 data for German 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.

The history of the last name German

The surname GERMAN is of German and English origin, derived from the medieval personal name Gereman or Germen. This name is thought to have originated from the Old German word "gari" meaning "spear" combined with the root "man" meaning "man." It was originally an occupational name for a man who carried a spear or javelin.

In England, the surname GERMAN is believed to have originated from the Middle English word "germain" meaning "a cousin or kinsman." It was used to refer to someone who was a close relative but not a direct descendant. The earliest recorded instance of this surname in England dates back to the 13th century.

One of the earliest known bearers of the surname GERMAN was Johannes Germen, who was mentioned in the records of the city of Cologne, Germany, in 1292. Another early reference is found in the Subsidy Rolls of Warwickshire, England, from 1332, which lists a person named John le Germeyn.

In the 14th century, the GERMAN surname appeared in various historical records, including the Poll Tax Returns of Yorkshire in 1379, which recorded a Walter German. The Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire from 1273 also mentioned a Robert Germain.

Notable individuals with the surname GERMAN throughout history include:

1. Frederic German (1775-1847), a British playwright and author known for his works such as "The Rovers" and "The Rent Day."
2. Edward German (1862-1936), an English composer and violinist best known for his light operas and incidental music for plays.
3. Aleksey German (1938-2013), a renowned Soviet and Russian film director and screenwriter, known for his films "My Friend Ivan Lapshin" and "Khrustalyov, My Car!"
4. Yuri German (1910-1967), a Soviet military commander who played a significant role during World War II, particularly in the Battle of Kursk.
5. Theodor German (1872-1943), a German architect and urban planner who designed several notable buildings in Berlin and other German cities.

The GERMAN surname has also been associated with various place names, such as Germanton in North Carolina, USA, and the town of Germain in Normandy, France.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name German

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

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 German was:

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 German has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

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 German was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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