2000
#148,244
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Holdmeyer
A German occupational surname derived from "Holz" (wood) and "Meier" (steward), referring to a forester or woodsman.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 135 Americans carry the last name Holdmeyer. That puts it at #143,511 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,538,921 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Holdmeyer 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
135
1 in 2,538,921
Census rank
#143,511
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
118
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 118 bearers of the surname Holdmeyer in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 143511th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Holdmeyer, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (0.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Holdmeyer
The surname Holdmeyer has its origins in Germany, dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to be derived from the German words "hold," meaning "gracious" or "kind," and "meyer," which referred to a leader or overseer of a farm or estate. The name suggests that the original bearer may have been someone who was considered a benevolent or gracious landowner or estate manager.
One of the earliest known records of the name Holdmeyer can be found in the historical archives of the town of Mülheim an der Ruhr in the Ruhr region of Germany. A document from 1587 mentions a Hans Holdmeyer, who is listed as a landowner and farmer in the area.
The name Holdmeyer appears to have been more prevalent in the northern and western regions of Germany, particularly in the states of North Rhine-Westphalia and Lower Saxony. However, as families migrated over the centuries, the name spread to other parts of the country and eventually beyond.
In the 17th century, a notable figure named Johann Holdmeyer (1620-1688) was a prominent Lutheran pastor and theologian from the city of Lübeck. He was known for his scholarly works on theology and his contributions to the intellectual discourse of the time.
During the 19th century, the Holdmeyer name gained further recognition with the birth of Wilhelm Holdmeyer (1821-1892), a German industrialist and entrepreneur who founded a successful manufacturing company in the city of Dortmund. His business played a significant role in the region's industrial development during that period.
Another noteworthy individual with the surname Holdmeyer was Else Holdmeyer (1890-1974), a German actress and film director who worked in the early days of German cinema. She was known for her pioneering work in directing several silent films during the 1920s and 1930s.
In more recent times, the name Holdmeyer has been associated with individuals from various fields, including academics, artists, and professionals. For example, Hans-Joachim Holdmeyer (1926-2007) was a renowned German architect and urban planner who made significant contributions to the reconstruction and development of several cities in Germany after World War II.
While the surname Holdmeyer may have evolved and spread across different regions, its historical roots can be traced back to the German-speaking regions of Europe, where it originated as a name associated with landowners, farmers, and influential individuals in their communities.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Holdmeyer
Among Census respondents with the surname Holdmeyer, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (0.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Holdmeyer 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 Holdmeyer surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White99.2% · 117
- Hispanic or Latino0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Holdmeyer
Holdmeyer 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
#143,149
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
+14 bearers (+13.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 5,095 places
2020
#143,511
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
+2 bearers (+1.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 362 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #148,244 | 102 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #143,149 | 116 | 0.04 | +14 bearers (+13.7%) | Up 5,095 places |
| 2020 | #143,511 | 118 | 0.04 | +2 bearers (+1.7%) | Down 362 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 Holdmeyer 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 | #143,149 | #143,511 | -0.3% |
| Count | 116 | 118 | 1.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -1.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Holdmeyer bearers went from 116 to 118 (+1.7% change). The surname moved down 362 positions in the national ranking, going from #143,149 to #143,511.
FAQ
Holdmeyer surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Holdmeyer?
Name Census estimates that about 135 living Americans carry the surname Holdmeyer. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,538,921 residents.
How common is Holdmeyer?
Holdmeyer ranks #143,511 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 118 people with the surname Holdmeyer. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (135), 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 Holdmeyer.
Has Holdmeyer become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Holdmeyer went from 116 recorded bearers to 118. That is an increase of 2 (+1.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #143,149 to #143,511.
What does the Census say about the background of Holdmeyer?
Among Census respondents with the surname Holdmeyer, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (0.8%). 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 Holdmeyer in the 2020 Census, accounting for 99.2% (117 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Holdmeyer appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (99.2%), Hispanic (0.8%). 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 Holdmeyer (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 Holdmeyer mean?
A German occupational surname derived from "Holz" (wood) and "Meier" (steward), referring to a forester or woodsman. 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 Holdmeyer (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 Holdmeyer?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how common the surname Holdmeyer is at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.