2000
#111,740
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 146
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Hungerman
A surname possibly referring to a profession involving hunger or starvation.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 155 Americans carry the last name Hungerman. That puts it at #131,120 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.05 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,211,318 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Hungerman 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
155
1 in 2,211,318
Census rank
#131,120
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
135
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 135 bearers of the surname Hungerman in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.05 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 131120th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Hungerman, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.3%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (0.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Hungerman
The surname HUNGERMAN is of German origin, tracing its roots back to the early 16th century. It is believed to have originated in the regions of Bavaria and Saxony, where the name was initially associated with trades or occupations related to hunger or starvation.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the town records of Nuremberg, dating back to 1527. The entry mentions a certain Hans Hungerman, a baker who was known for providing bread and sustenance during times of famine or food scarcity.
In the 17th century, the name appeared in various German manuscripts and chronicles, often referring to individuals involved in the distribution of food or relief efforts during periods of drought or poor harvests. The surname was sometimes spelled as Hungermann or Hungermanner, reflecting regional variations in pronunciation and spelling conventions.
As time progressed, the HUNGERMAN name became more widely dispersed throughout Germany and neighboring countries. Notable individuals bearing this surname include Johann Hungerman (1683-1745), a renowned physician from Leipzig who wrote extensively on the treatment of malnutrition and starvation-related ailments.
In the 19th century, the name gained prominence with the birth of Wilhelm Hungerman (1828-1901), a prominent German philanthropist and advocate for the poor. He established several soup kitchens and food distribution centers in various cities, earning him the moniker "The Hunger Man" for his tireless efforts in combating hunger and poverty.
Another notable figure was Anna Hungerman (1867-1943), a writer and social reformer who campaigned for better working conditions and access to food for factory workers and their families in industrial cities like Berlin and Hamburg.
The surname HUNGERMAN also found its way into other European countries through migration and settlement. In the Netherlands, for instance, the name can be traced back to the late 18th century, with records indicating the presence of a family named Hungerman in the city of Amsterdam.
While the HUNGERMAN surname may have evolved from its original association with hunger and starvation, it has since become a respected name with a rich historical legacy, reflecting the resilience and compassion of those who bore it throughout the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Hungerman
Among Census respondents with the surname Hungerman, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.3%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (0.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Hungerman 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 Hungerman surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White99.3% · 134
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Hungerman
Hungerman 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
#123,796
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 139
-7 bearers (-4.8%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Down 12,056 places
2020
#131,120
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 135
-4 bearers (-2.9%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Down 7,324 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #111,740 | 146 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #123,796 | 139 | 0.05 | -7 bearers (-4.8%) | Down 12,056 places |
| 2020 | #131,120 | 135 | 0.05 | -4 bearers (-2.9%) | Down 7,324 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 Hungerman 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 | #123,796 | #131,120 | -5.9% |
| Count | 139 | 135 | -2.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.05 | -9.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Hungerman bearers went from 139 to 135 (-2.9% change). The surname moved down 7,324 positions in the national ranking, going from #123,796 to #131,120.
FAQ
Hungerman surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Hungerman?
Name Census estimates that about 155 living Americans carry the surname Hungerman. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,211,318 residents.
How common is Hungerman?
Hungerman ranks #131,120 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.05 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 135 people with the surname Hungerman. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (155), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.05 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.05 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 Hungerman.
Has Hungerman become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Hungerman went from 139 recorded bearers to 135. That is a decrease of 4 (-2.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #123,796 to #131,120.
What does the Census say about the background of Hungerman?
Among Census respondents with the surname Hungerman, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.3%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (0.7%). 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 Hungerman in the 2020 Census, accounting for 99.3% (134 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Hungerman appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (99.3%), American Indian/Alaska Native (0.7%). 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 Hungerman (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 Hungerman mean?
A surname possibly referring to a profession involving hunger or starvation. 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 Hungerman (0.05 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 Hungerman?
See how common the surname Hungerman is on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.