2000
#130,443
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Glassmyer
A surname derived from an occupational name for a glass maker or glass blower.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 134 Americans carry the last name Glassmyer. That puts it at #144,270 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,557,868 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Glassmyer 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
134
1 in 2,557,868
Census rank
#144,270
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
117
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 117 bearers of the surname Glassmyer in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 144270th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Glassmyer, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.7%) and Two or More Races (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Glassmyer
The surname Glassmyer has its origins in Germany, dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to have originated from the German words "glas" meaning glass and "myer" or "meier" meaning a steward or keeper. This suggests that the name may have been associated with individuals who worked as glassmakers or were responsible for overseeing glassmaking operations.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Glassmyer can be found in the town records of Nürnberg, Germany, from the year 1576, where a glassmaker named Hans Glassmyer is mentioned. This provides evidence of the name's connection to the glassmaking trade during that period.
In the 17th century, the name Glassmyer appeared in various regions of Germany, including Bavaria and Saxony. It was often spelled differently, such as "Glassmair" or "Glassmair," reflecting local dialects and variations in spelling conventions at the time.
The name Glassmyer is also found in historical records from the 18th century, such as the church registers of the town of Ansbach in Bavaria. One notable individual bearing this name was Johann Glassmyer, a renowned glassblower who lived from 1712 to 1784 and was known for his exceptional craftsmanship.
As the Glassmyer family spread throughout Germany and other parts of Europe, the name underwent further variations in spelling. In the 19th century, records show individuals with the surname Glassmyer residing in various German states, including Prussia and Hesse.
Notable individuals with the surname Glassmyer throughout history include:
1. Hans Glassmyer (born c. 1550), a glassmaker from Nürnberg, Germany, mentioned in town records from 1576.
2. Johann Glassmyer (1712-1784), a renowned glassblower from Ansbach, Bavaria, known for his exceptional craftsmanship.
3. Friedrich Glassmyer (1789-1862), a glassmaker from Saxony who established a successful glassworks in the town of Zwickau.
4. Wilhelmina Glassmyer (1820-1892), a philanthropist from Hesse who founded a charity organization to support underprivileged children.
5. Karl Glassmyer (1855-1918), a German-American glassmaker who immigrated to the United States and established a glassworks in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
While the surname Glassmyer has its roots in Germany and is closely tied to the glassmaking trade, it has since spread to other parts of the world, including North America and Europe, due to migration and cultural exchange.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Glassmyer
Among Census respondents with the surname Glassmyer, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.7%) and Two or More Races (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Glassmyer 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 Glassmyer surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.9% · 111
- Hispanic or Latino1.7% · 2
- Two or more races1.7% · 2
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Glassmyer
Glassmyer 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
#134,712
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 125
+5 bearers (+4.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 4,269 places
2020
#144,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
-8 bearers (-6.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 9,558 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #130,443 | 120 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #134,712 | 125 | 0.04 | +5 bearers (+4.2%) | Down 4,269 places |
| 2020 | #144,270 | 117 | 0.04 | -8 bearers (-6.4%) | Down 9,558 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 Glassmyer 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 | #134,712 | #144,270 | -7.1% |
| Count | 125 | 117 | -6.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -2.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Glassmyer bearers went from 125 to 117 (-6.4% change). The surname moved down 9,558 positions in the national ranking, going from #134,712 to #144,270.
FAQ
Glassmyer surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Glassmyer?
Name Census estimates that about 134 living Americans carry the surname Glassmyer. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,557,868 residents.
How common is Glassmyer?
Glassmyer ranks #144,270 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 117 people with the surname Glassmyer. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (134), 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 Glassmyer.
Has Glassmyer become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Glassmyer went from 125 recorded bearers to 117. That is a decrease of 8 (-6.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #134,712 to #144,270.
What does the Census say about the background of Glassmyer?
Among Census respondents with the surname Glassmyer, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.7%) and Two or More Races (1.7%). 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 Glassmyer in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.9% (111 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Glassmyer appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.9%), Hispanic (1.7%), Two or More Races (1.7%). 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 Glassmyer (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 Glassmyer mean?
A surname derived from an occupational name for a glass maker or glass blower. 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 Glassmyer (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 Glassmyer?
You can see how many people have the last name Glassmyer on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.