2000
#14,581
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,872
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.69
Rare Last name
Katzman
A Jewish surname derived from the German word "Katz" meaning cat.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,971 Americans carry the last name Katzman. That puts it at #16,259 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.58 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 173,899 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Katzman 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
2.0K
1 in 173,899
Census rank
#16,259
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.7K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,719 bearers of the surname Katzman in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.58 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 16259th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Katzman, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.4%) and Two or More Races (2.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Katzman
The surname Katzman is of Jewish origin, derived from the Yiddish word "kats," meaning cat. It likely originated in the German-speaking regions of Europe during the Middle Ages, when many Jewish families took on surnames based on their occupations or personal characteristics.
The earliest recorded instances of the surname Katzman can be traced back to the 16th century in various German and Polish regions. In the 1570s, a man named Jacob Katzman was mentioned in the records of the Jewish community in Frankfurt, Germany.
In the 17th century, the Katzman name appeared in several Polish towns, such as Krakow and Lublin. One notable individual was Yitzhak Katzman, a respected rabbi who lived in Krakow in the mid-1600s.
As the Jewish diaspora spread across Europe and eventually to the Americas, the Katzman surname traveled with them. In the 18th century, there are records of Katzman families living in Amsterdam, Netherlands, and in various cities in present-day Ukraine.
One of the earliest Katzman immigrants to the United States was Chaim Katzman, who arrived in New York City from Poland in the 1830s. He established a successful business in the city and raised a family there.
Another notable Katzman was Mordechai Katzman, a scholar and writer who lived in Odessa, Ukraine, in the late 19th century. He authored several books on Jewish history and philosophy.
In the 20th century, the Katzman surname continued to spread across the globe. One prominent figure was David Katzman, a Canadian businessman and philanthropist who lived from 1909 to 1985. He founded a successful real estate company and was active in various Jewish organizations.
Another Katzman of note was Melvin Katzman, an American film producer and director who was born in 1920 and worked in Hollywood for several decades. He was involved in the production of numerous television shows and movies.
While the name Katzman has its roots in Europe, it has become a diverse surname found in many countries around the world, thanks to the migration and integration of Jewish communities throughout history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Katzman
Among Census respondents with the surname Katzman, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.4%) and Two or More Races (2.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Katzman 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 Katzman surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.2% · 1,602
- Hispanic or Latino2.4% · 42
- Two or more races2.3% · 39
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.3% · 23
- Black or African American0.7% · 12
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Katzman
Katzman 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
#15,386
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,906
+34 bearers (+1.8%)
Per 100,000 0.65
Rank movement Down 805 places
2020
#16,259
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,719
-187 bearers (-9.8%)
Per 100,000 0.58
Rank movement Down 873 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #14,581 | 1,872 | 0.69 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #15,386 | 1,906 | 0.65 | +34 bearers (+1.8%) | Down 805 places |
| 2020 | #16,259 | 1,719 | 0.58 | -187 bearers (-9.8%) | Down 873 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 Katzman 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 | #15,386 | #16,259 | -5.7% |
| Count | 1,906 | 1,719 | -9.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.65 | 0.58 | -11.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Katzman bearers went from 1,906 to 1,719 (-9.8% change). The surname moved down 873 positions in the national ranking, going from #15,386 to #16,259.
FAQ
Katzman surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Katzman?
Name Census estimates that about 1,971 living Americans carry the surname Katzman. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 173,899 residents.
How common is Katzman?
Katzman ranks #16,259 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.58 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 1,719 people with the surname Katzman. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,971), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.58 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.58 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Katzman.
Has Katzman become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Katzman went from 1,906 recorded bearers to 1,719. That is a decrease of 187 (-9.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #15,386 to #16,259.
What does the Census say about the background of Katzman?
Among Census respondents with the surname Katzman, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.4%) and Two or More Races (2.3%). 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 Katzman in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.2% (1,602 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Katzman appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.2%), Hispanic (2.4%), Two or More Races (2.3%). 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 Katzman (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 Katzman mean?
A Jewish surname derived from the German word "Katz" meaning cat. 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 Katzman (0.58 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 many people have the surname Katzman?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.