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

Ihm, 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 Ihm surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Ihm in America

Ihm is the 56836th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Ihm surname appeared 359 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Ihm.

We can also compare 2010 data for Ihm 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 Ihm

The surname Ihm originates from Germany, where it first appeared during the late medieval period around the 14th century. It is believed to derive from the Old German word "imo," meaning "bee." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to a beekeeper or someone associated with beekeeping.

In its earliest recorded instances, the name was spelled variations like "Ihme" or "Ihmen." These spellings can be found in historical records from regions such as Saxony and Thuringia in central Germany. The name likely emerged as a descriptive surname, given to identify individuals based on their occupation or distinguishing characteristics.

One of the earliest known references to the surname Ihm can be found in a 1427 document from the town of Erfurt, which mentions a certain "Hans Ihme." This document provides valuable insight into the name's prevalence in the region during that era.

Throughout the centuries, the Ihm surname has been associated with various notable individuals. One such figure was Johann Ihm (1580-1647), a German Lutheran theologian and author who wrote extensively on religious and philosophical topics.

Another prominent bearer of the name was Ernst Ihm (1818-1888), a German jurist and legal scholar. He served as a judge and made significant contributions to the field of civil law through his writings and judicial decisions.

In the realm of literature, Karl Ihm (1845-1923) was a German philologist and classical scholar. He specialized in the study of ancient Greek and Latin texts and made notable contributions to the field of textual criticism.

Moving into the 20th century, Hans Ihm (1911-1990) was a German architect and urban planner. He played a crucial role in the reconstruction and urban development of several German cities after World War II, including Frankfurt and Berlin.

One of the more recent notable figures with the Ihm surname was Waltraud Ihm (1918-2000), a German actress and theater director. She had a prolific career spanning over six decades and was renowned for her performances in both classical and contemporary plays.

These are just a few examples of the many individuals throughout history who have borne the surname Ihm, showcasing its enduring presence across various fields and professions.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Ihm

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

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 Ihm 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 Ihm 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 Ihm was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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