2000
#8,450
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,590
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.33
Rare Last name
Glassman
An occupational surname referring to a glassblower or someone who works with glass.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,819 Americans carry the last name Glassman. That puts it at #9,371 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.11 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 89,750 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Glassman 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Glassman with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.8K
1 in 89,750
Census rank
#9,371
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,330 bearers of the surname Glassman in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.11 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9371st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Glassman, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.2%) and Two or More Races (2.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Glassman
The surname Glassman is of German origin, derived from the word "Glas," which means "glass" in English. It emerged during the Middle Ages, specifically around the 13th century. The name was initially associated with individuals who worked as glassmakers or resided near a glassmaking facility.
One of the earliest records of the Glassman surname can be found in the Deutsches Familiennamen-Lexikon (Dictionary of German Family Names), which dates back to the 14th century. This document includes entries for individuals with the surname spelled as "Glassmann" or "Glasman."
In the 16th century, the surname Glassman appeared in various municipal records across German-speaking regions. For instance, in 1532, a document from the city of Nuremberg mentioned a certain Hans Glassman, a glassmaker by trade.
As the surname spread throughout Europe, variations in spelling emerged, such as "Glassman," "Glassmann," and "Glassmacher." These variations often reflected regional dialects and linguistic influences.
One notable bearer of the Glassman surname was Johann Glassman (1587-1656), a German theologian and author who wrote extensively on Lutheran theology. His works, including "Commentarius in Apocalypsin" (Commentary on the Apocalypse), were widely circulated during his lifetime.
Another significant figure was Karl Glassman (1766-1844), a German philosopher and educator. He is best known for his contributions to the field of educational theory and his advocacy for progressive teaching methods.
In the 19th century, the Glassman surname gained prominence in the United States as German immigrants settled in various parts of the country. One such individual was Friedrich Glassman (1823-1901), a German-born businessman who established a successful glassmaking company in Pennsylvania.
Another notable American with the Glassman surname was Joseph Glassman (1866-1943), a lawyer and politician who served as a member of the New York State Assembly in the early 20th century.
Lastly, the name Glassman has been associated with several places, including the town of Glasmannsfeld in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany, which likely derived its name from a historical glassmaking community or individual bearing the Glassman surname.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Glassman
Among Census respondents with the surname Glassman, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.2%) and Two or More Races (2.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Glassman 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 Glassman surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.6% · 3,149
- Hispanic or Latino2.2% · 74
- Two or more races2.0% · 65
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 25
- Black or African American0.4% · 14
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Glassman
Glassman 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
#8,928
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,666
+76 bearers (+2.1%)
Per 100,000 1.24
Rank movement Down 478 places
2020
#9,371
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,330
-336 bearers (-9.2%)
Per 100,000 1.11
Rank movement Down 443 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,450 | 3,590 | 1.33 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,928 | 3,666 | 1.24 | +76 bearers (+2.1%) | Down 478 places |
| 2020 | #9,371 | 3,330 | 1.11 | -336 bearers (-9.2%) | Down 443 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 Glassman 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 | #8,928 | #9,371 | -5.0% |
| Count | 3,666 | 3,330 | -9.2% |
| Per 100K | 1.24 | 1.11 | -10.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Glassman bearers went from 3,666 to 3,330 (-9.2% change). The surname moved down 443 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,928 to #9,371.
FAQ
Glassman surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Glassman?
Name Census estimates that about 3,819 living Americans carry the surname Glassman. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 89,750 residents.
How common is Glassman?
Glassman ranks #9,371 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.11 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,330 people with the surname Glassman. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,819), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.11 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.11 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Glassman.
Has Glassman become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Glassman went from 3,666 recorded bearers to 3,330. That is a decrease of 336 (-9.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #8,928 to #9,371.
What does the Census say about the background of Glassman?
Among Census respondents with the surname Glassman, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.2%) and Two or More Races (2.0%). 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 Glassman in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.6% (3,149 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Glassman appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.6%), Hispanic (2.2%), Two or More Races (2.0%). 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 Glassman (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 Glassman mean?
An occupational surname referring to a glassblower or someone who works with glass. 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 Glassman (1.11 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 people have the surname Glassman?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.