Find out how popular the last name Herman is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Herman.

Herman, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Herman surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Herman in America

Herman is the 826th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Herman surname appeared 41,750 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 14 people would have the surname Herman.

We can also compare 2010 data for Herman to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Herman

The surname Herman has its origins in the Germanic language, deriving from the elements "heri" meaning army and "man" meaning man or person. It was initially a personal name given to a brave or valiant warrior, but over time it transitioned into a hereditary surname.

The earliest known record of the name Herman can be traced back to the 8th century in the Frankish Empire, where it was used as a personal name among the noble class. One of the earliest recorded instances is found in the Annales Regni Francorum, a historical chronicle from the late 8th century, which mentions a nobleman named Herman.

In the 11th century, the surname Herman began to appear more frequently in various regions of present-day Germany and the Netherlands. It is found in the Codex Traditionum Westfalicarum, a collection of medieval charters and documents from Westphalia, Germany.

During the Middle Ages, the name Herman was particularly common in the Rhineland region of Germany. One notable figure was Herman of Reichenau (1013-1054), a Benedictine monk, scholar, and composer from the Abbey of Reichenau. His works included influential treatises on music theory and astronomical calculations.

In the 13th century, the surname Herman gained prominence in the Netherlands, where it was often associated with influential families and individuals. One such example is Herman de Liege (c. 1240-1301), a Flemish architect and sculptor who contributed to the construction of several notable Gothic cathedrals, including the Cathedral of Our Lady in Antwerp.

In England, the surname Herman can be traced back to the 16th century, likely introduced by immigrants from the Low Countries. One of the earliest recorded instances is William Herman (c. 1535-1598), an English botanist and author of the influential work "The Herbal, or General Historie of Plantes."

Another notable figure with the surname Herman is Johann Herman (1527-1605), a German theologian and one of the authors of the Heidelberg Catechism, a influential Protestant confessional document.

As the surname spread across Europe, it underwent various spelling variations, such as Hermanns, Hermaen, and Hermans, reflecting regional linguistic differences and scribal interpretations.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Herman

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Herman.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Herman was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Herman has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Herman was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Herman, please contact us.

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