Hellman
A surname of German origin referring to someone who lived near a hallowed or holy place.
According to the 2010 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,907 Americans carry the last name Hellman. That puts it at #9,661 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.14 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 87,728 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Hellman surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, 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
3.9K
1 in 87,728
Census rank
#9,661
2010 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,360 bearers of the surname Hellman in its 2010 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.14 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9661st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Hellman, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.0%) and Two or More Races (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Hellman
The surname Hellman is of German origin, tracing its roots back to the medieval era. It is derived from the Old High German word "hella," which means "bright" or "shining," and the suffix "-man," which denotes a person. Therefore, the name Hellman initially referred to a person with a bright or radiant appearance.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Hellman can be found in the Codex Traditionum Westfalicarum, a medieval cartulary from the 11th century, where it appears as "Hellemann." This suggests that the surname was already in use in the region of Westphalia, Germany, during that time.
In the 13th century, the name Hellman was also mentioned in the Annales Monasterii Bremensis, a chronicle of the Benedictine monastery in Bremen, Germany. This indicates that the name had spread to other parts of northern Germany by that period.
The surname Hellman has been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. One of the earliest was Henricus Hellman, a German theologian and academic who lived in the late 15th century and served as the rector of the University of Greifswald.
Another prominent figure with this surname was Johann Hellman (1532-1598), a German humanist scholar and poet who was a professor at the University of Jena and known for his Latin works.
In the 17th century, Johann Hellman (1608-1673) was a German jurist and legal scholar who served as a professor of law at the University of Rostock and wrote several treatises on legal topics.
The name Hellman has also been associated with places in Germany, such as the village of Hellmannshofen in Bavaria, which likely derived its name from an early settler or landowner with the surname Hellman.
In the 19th century, Carl Hellman (1835-1909) was a German-American industrialist who founded the Hellman Brewing Company in Los Angeles, California, and played a significant role in the development of the city's beer industry.
These examples illustrate the rich history and diversity of the surname Hellman, which has been carried by scholars, academics, legal professionals, industrialists, and others across various regions and time periods.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Hellman
Among Census respondents with the surname Hellman, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.0%) and Two or More Races (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Hellman bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2010 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.
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 Hellman surname at the time of the 2010 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.4%
- Hispanic or Latino2.0%
- Two or more races1.8%
- Black or African American0.9%
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6%
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4%
Year on year
2010 vs 2010 Census
How has the Hellman surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
| Metric | 2010 | 2010 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #9,661 | #9,661 | 0.0% |
| Count | 3,360 | 3,360 | 0.0% |
| Per 100K | 1.14 | 1.14 | 0.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2010 Census, the number of Hellman bearers went from 3,360 to 3,360 (+0.0% change). The surname held its position in the national ranking, going from #9,661 to #9,661.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Hellman
FAQ
Hellman surname: questions and answers
How common is the last name Hellman?
The surname Hellman holds position #9,661 in the US Census Bureau's surname ranking, with an estimated 3,907 living bearers. It occurs at a rate of 1.14 per 100,000 Americans.
What is the ethnic background of the Hellman surname?
Among Census respondents with the surname Hellman, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.0%) and Two or More Races (1.8%). These figures come from the 2010 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Where does this surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These tables list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2010 Census, along with a frequency rate and self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.