2000
#31,492
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 695
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.26
Very Rare Last name
Heldman
A German surname meaning "brave man" or "hero".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 821 Americans carry the last name Heldman. That puts it at #34,148 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.24 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 417,484 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Heldman 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
821
1 in 417,484
Census rank
#34,148
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
716
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 716 bearers of the surname Heldman in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.24 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 34148th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Heldman, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.0%) and Two or More Races (2.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Heldman
The surname HELDMAN is of German origin, derived from the Middle High German word "heldeman" or "heltman," which translates to "hero" or "champion." It is believed to have first emerged in the 12th or 13th century as a descriptive surname, likely given to individuals who displayed exceptional bravery or skill in battle.
The earliest recorded instances of the surname HELDMAN can be traced back to various regions of present-day Germany. One notable mention is found in the Würzburg City Archives, where a certain Heinricus Heldman is listed as a resident in the year 1304. Another early reference comes from the town of Erfurt, where a Cunradus Heldman is mentioned in records dating back to 1387.
As the surname spread across German-speaking regions, it underwent minor spelling variations, such as Heltman, Helldman, and Heldemann. These variations were often influenced by local dialects and scribal interpretations.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the HELDMAN name gained prominence in various parts of Germany. One notable figure was Johannes Heldman (1535-1612), a respected theologian and professor at the University of Wittenberg, who played a significant role in the Protestant Reformation.
Another notable individual was Caspar Heldman (1612-1679), a renowned painter from Nuremberg whose works are still admired for their intricate attention to detail and vivid colors.
In the 18th century, the HELDMAN surname found its way to other parts of Europe and beyond. Johann Friedrich Heldman (1725-1798), a German-born military officer, served in the British East India Company and played a crucial role in the capture of Pondicherry during the Seven Years' War.
As the Industrial Revolution ushered in new opportunities, many individuals bearing the HELDMAN surname sought their fortunes in the rapidly growing cities and industrial centers. One such figure was Wilhelm Heldman (1837-1912), a successful industrialist and entrepreneur from Berlin, who established several successful manufacturing companies.
The HELDMAN name has also been associated with various place names throughout Germany, such as Heldmannshausen, a village in the state of Hesse, and Heldmannsberg, a hill in the Bavarian Alps, further emphasizing its deep-rooted connection to the region.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Heldman
Among Census respondents with the surname Heldman, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.0%) and Two or More Races (2.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Heldman 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 Heldman surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.9% · 672
- Hispanic or Latino2.0% · 14
- Two or more races2.0% · 14
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.4% · 10
- Black or African American0.6% · 4
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Heldman
Heldman 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
#38,532
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 574
-121 bearers (-17.4%)
Per 100,000 0.19
Rank movement Down 7,040 places
2020
#34,148
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 716
+142 bearers (+24.7%)
Per 100,000 0.24
Rank movement Up 4,384 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #31,492 | 695 | 0.26 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #38,532 | 574 | 0.19 | -121 bearers (-17.4%) | Down 7,040 places |
| 2020 | #34,148 | 716 | 0.24 | +142 bearers (+24.7%) | Up 4,384 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 Heldman 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 | #38,532 | #34,148 | 11.4% |
| Count | 574 | 716 | 24.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.19 | 0.24 | 26.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Heldman bearers went from 574 to 716 (+24.7% change). The surname moved up 4,384 positions in the national ranking, going from #38,532 to #34,148.
FAQ
Heldman surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Heldman?
Name Census estimates that about 821 living Americans carry the surname Heldman. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 417,484 residents.
How common is Heldman?
Heldman ranks #34,148 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.24 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 716 people with the surname Heldman. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (821), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.24 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.24 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 Heldman.
Has Heldman become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Heldman went from 574 recorded bearers to 716. That is an increase of 142 (+24.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #38,532 to #34,148.
What does the Census say about the background of Heldman?
Among Census respondents with the surname Heldman, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.0%) 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 Heldman in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.9% (672 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Heldman appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.9%), Hispanic (2.0%), 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 Heldman (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 Heldman mean?
A German surname meaning "brave man" or "hero". 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 Heldman (0.24 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 are called Heldman?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people are called Heldman at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.