2000
#109,915
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 149
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.06
Very Rare Last name
Glemser
A surname derived from the German dialectal word "glemmer," meaning "glowing embers."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 192 Americans carry the last name Glemser. That puts it at #111,996 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.06 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,785,179 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Glemser 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
192
1 in 1,785,179
Census rank
#111,996
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
167
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 167 bearers of the surname Glemser in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.06 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 111996th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Glemser, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (12.6%) and Two or More Races (3.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Glemser
The surname Glemser is of German origin, originating in the late medieval period, likely around the 13th or 14th century. It is believed to have originated in the regions of Saxony and Silesia, which were historically German-speaking areas. The name is derived from the Old German word "glimmen," meaning "to glow or burn slowly," and may have been a occupational surname for someone who worked in a forge or with fire.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the medieval records of the city of Leipzig, where a certain Heinricus Glemser was mentioned as a blacksmith in the year 1391. This suggests that the name was already established in the region by the late 14th century.
Another notable figure with this surname was Johannes Glemser, a Lutheran pastor and theologian who lived in the 16th century (c. 1520-1585). He was known for his writings on the Protestant Reformation and his active role in the religious disputes of his time.
In the 17th century, a prominent Glemser was Hans Glemser (1597-1676), a German painter and engraver who worked in the Baroque style. His works can be found in various churches and collections across Germany and neighboring countries.
Moving into the 18th century, there was a German composer and organist named Johann Christoph Glemser (1705-1768). He was active in the city of Halle and is known for his contributions to the development of the church cantata.
Finally, in the 19th century, a notable Glemser was Karl Friedrich Wilhelm Glemser (1802-1880), a German architect and urban planner who was responsible for the design of several public buildings and urban development projects in Berlin and other cities in Prussia.
Throughout its history, the Glemser surname has maintained its ties to its German roots and has been carried by individuals from various professions and walks of life, from artisans and craftsmen to clergy and artists.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Glemser
Among Census respondents with the surname Glemser, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (12.6%) and Two or More Races (3.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Glemser 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 Glemser surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White82.0% · 137
- Hispanic or Latino12.6% · 21
- Two or more races3.6% · 6
- Black or African American1.2% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Glemser
Glemser 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
#112,568
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 156
+7 bearers (+4.7%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Down 2,653 places
2020
#111,996
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 167
+11 bearers (+7.1%)
Per 100,000 0.06
Rank movement Up 572 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #109,915 | 149 | 0.06 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #112,568 | 156 | 0.05 | +7 bearers (+4.7%) | Down 2,653 places |
| 2020 | #111,996 | 167 | 0.06 | +11 bearers (+7.1%) | Up 572 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 Glemser 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 | #112,568 | #111,996 | 0.5% |
| Count | 156 | 167 | 7.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.06 | 11.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Glemser bearers went from 156 to 167 (+7.1% change). The surname moved up 572 positions in the national ranking, going from #112,568 to #111,996.
FAQ
Glemser surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Glemser?
Name Census estimates that about 192 living Americans carry the surname Glemser. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,785,179 residents.
How common is Glemser?
Glemser ranks #111,996 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.06 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 167 people with the surname Glemser. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (192), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.06 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.06 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 Glemser.
Has Glemser become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Glemser went from 156 recorded bearers to 167. That is an increase of 11 (+7.1%). In the national ranking it rose from #112,568 to #111,996.
What does the Census say about the background of Glemser?
Among Census respondents with the surname Glemser, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (12.6%) and Two or More Races (3.6%). 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 Glemser in the 2020 Census, accounting for 82.0% (137 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Glemser appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (82.0%), Hispanic (12.6%), Two or More Races (3.6%). 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 Glemser (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 Glemser mean?
A surname derived from the German dialectal word "glemmer," meaning "glowing embers." 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 Glemser (0.06 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 last name Glemser?
If you just want to know how common the surname Glemser is, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.