2000
#140,756
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Holzmer
A German surname derived from the words "Holz" meaning wood and "Meer" meaning sea, possibly referring to a place or occupation related to coastal woodworking.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 123 Americans carry the last name Holzmer. That puts it at #151,639 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,786,621 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Holzmer 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
123
1 in 2,786,621
Census rank
#151,639
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
107
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 107 bearers of the surname Holzmer in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 151639th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Holzmer, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.6%) and Two or More Races (4.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Holzmer
The surname Holzmer is of German origin, originating in the southern regions of the country during the medieval period. It is derived from the German words "holz," meaning wood, and "mer," which is a shortened version of the word "macher," meaning maker or worker. This suggests the name likely originated as an occupational surname for a woodworker or someone involved in the timber industry.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Holzmer can be found in the historical records of the town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber, dating back to the 14th century. In these records, a woodcarver by the name of Hans Holzmer is mentioned as a resident of the town in the year 1382.
The name Holzmer also appears in the records of the city of Nuremberg, where a merchant named Jakob Holzmer is recorded as a member of the local guild of timber traders in the year 1487.
In the 16th century, a notable figure named Matthias Holzmer was a renowned woodcarver and sculptor who worked on many of the intricate wooden altarpieces and pulpits found in churches throughout southern Germany. He was born in the town of Bamberg in 1520 and is believed to have died around 1590.
Another prominent individual bearing the name Holzmer was Johann Holzmer, a master carpenter and architect who lived in the city of Munich during the 17th century. He is credited with designing and overseeing the construction of several notable buildings, including the St. Michael's Church, which was completed in 1662.
In the 18th century, a scholar and philosopher named Friedrich Holzmer gained recognition for his writings on the subject of ethics and moral philosophy. He was born in the town of Heidelberg in 1712 and published several influential works before his death in 1792.
Over the centuries, the surname Holzmer has also been associated with various place names and locations in southern Germany, such as the village of Holzmerfeld and the hamlet of Holzmerhof, both of which likely derived their names from the presence of woodworkers or timber-related industries in those areas.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Holzmer
Among Census respondents with the surname Holzmer, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.6%) and Two or More Races (4.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Holzmer 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 Holzmer surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.8% · 95
- Hispanic or Latino5.6% · 6
- Two or more races4.7% · 5
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Holzmer
Holzmer 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
#154,907
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
-4 bearers (-3.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 14,151 places
2020
#151,639
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
+2 bearers (+1.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 3,268 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #140,756 | 109 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #154,907 | 105 | 0.04 | -4 bearers (-3.7%) | Down 14,151 places |
| 2020 | #151,639 | 107 | 0.04 | +2 bearers (+1.9%) | Up 3,268 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 Holzmer 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 | #154,907 | #151,639 | 2.1% |
| Count | 105 | 107 | 1.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -10.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Holzmer bearers went from 105 to 107 (+1.9% change). The surname moved up 3,268 positions in the national ranking, going from #154,907 to #151,639.
FAQ
Holzmer surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Holzmer?
Name Census estimates that about 123 living Americans carry the surname Holzmer. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,786,621 residents.
How common is Holzmer?
Holzmer ranks #151,639 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 107 people with the surname Holzmer. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (123), 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 Holzmer.
Has Holzmer become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Holzmer went from 105 recorded bearers to 107. That is an increase of 2 (+1.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #154,907 to #151,639.
What does the Census say about the background of Holzmer?
Among Census respondents with the surname Holzmer, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.6%) and Two or More Races (4.7%). 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 Holzmer in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.8% (95 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Holzmer appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.8%), Hispanic (5.6%), Two or More Races (4.7%). 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 Holzmer (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 Holzmer mean?
A German surname derived from the words "Holz" meaning wood and "Meer" meaning sea, possibly referring to a place or occupation related to coastal woodworking. 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 Holzmer (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 Holzmer?
You can see how many Americans have the surname Holzmer on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.