2000
#7,272
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,226
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.57
Rare Last name
Lindemann
A German toponymic surname derived from places named Lindemann, meaning "dweller by the linden tree."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,794 Americans carry the last name Lindemann. That puts it at #7,630 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.40 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 71,497 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Lindemann 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
4.8K
1 in 71,497
Census rank
#7,630
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,181 bearers of the surname Lindemann in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.40 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7630th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Lindemann, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.2%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Lindemann
The surname Lindemann originated in Germany, with the earliest recorded examples dating back to the 13th century. It is derived from the Old German words "lint" meaning "linden tree" and "mann" meaning "man", essentially translating to "linden man" or "man of the linden trees".
This surname was likely initially given as a descriptive name to someone who lived near a linden tree or a grove of linden trees. In medieval times, linden trees held significant cultural and practical importance, serving as gathering places and providing materials for various purposes.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Lindemann can be found in the historical records of the city of Cologne, Germany, where a certain Heinricus Lindemann is mentioned in documents from the year 1267. This suggests that the surname was already established in the region by the 13th century.
In the 14th century, the name appears in various legal and property records across different regions of Germany. For example, a Johannes Lindemann is listed as a landowner in the town of Erfurt in 1346, while a Mathilde Lindemann is recorded as a merchant in the city of Nuremberg in 1382.
As the name spread across Germany, it also underwent slight variations in spelling, such as Lindeman, Lindemann, and Lindemanns. These variations were often influenced by local dialects and scribal practices.
Notable individuals with the surname Lindemann include:
1. Ferdinand Lindemann (1886-1939), a renowned German mathematician who proved the transcendence of the mathematical constant pi in 1882.
2. Gottlob Lindemann (1779-1851), a German architect and city planner who designed several prominent buildings in Berlin during the early 19th century.
3. Wilhelm Lindemann (1828-1879), a German botanist and explorer who conducted extensive research on the flora of Central America and Mexico.
4. Carl Lindemann (1853-1934), a German entrepreneur and industrialist who founded the Lindemann Machinery Company, a leading manufacturer of agricultural equipment in the late 19th century.
5. Friedrich Lindemann (1901-1976), a German politician and member of the Reichstag during the Weimar Republic, known for his opposition to the Nazi regime.
Throughout its history, the surname Lindemann has maintained its connection to its German roots and the linden tree, symbolizing the enduring cultural significance of this tree in the region.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Lindemann
Among Census respondents with the surname Lindemann, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.2%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Lindemann 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 Lindemann surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.6% · 3,871
- Hispanic or Latino3.2% · 134
- Two or more races2.7% · 113
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 40
- Black or African American0.3% · 14
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 9
Timeline
Historical Census data for Lindemann
Lindemann 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
#7,502
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,438
+212 bearers (+5.0%)
Per 100,000 1.50
Rank movement Down 230 places
2020
#7,630
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,181
-257 bearers (-5.8%)
Per 100,000 1.40
Rank movement Down 128 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,272 | 4,226 | 1.57 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,502 | 4,438 | 1.50 | +212 bearers (+5.0%) | Down 230 places |
| 2020 | #7,630 | 4,181 | 1.40 | -257 bearers (-5.8%) | Down 128 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 Lindemann 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 | #7,502 | #7,630 | -1.7% |
| Count | 4,438 | 4,181 | -5.8% |
| Per 100K | 1.50 | 1.40 | -6.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Lindemann bearers went from 4,438 to 4,181 (-5.8% change). The surname moved down 128 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,502 to #7,630.
FAQ
Lindemann surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Lindemann?
Name Census estimates that about 4,794 living Americans carry the surname Lindemann. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 71,497 residents.
How common is Lindemann?
Lindemann ranks #7,630 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.40 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 4,181 people with the surname Lindemann. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,794), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.4 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.40 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 Lindemann.
Has Lindemann become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Lindemann went from 4,438 recorded bearers to 4,181. That is a decrease of 257 (-5.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #7,502 to #7,630.
What does the Census say about the background of Lindemann?
Among Census respondents with the surname Lindemann, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.2%) and Two or More Races (2.7%). 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 Lindemann in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.6% (3,871 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Lindemann appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.6%), Hispanic (3.2%), Two or More Races (2.7%). 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 Lindemann (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 Lindemann mean?
A German toponymic surname derived from places named Lindemann, meaning "dweller by the linden tree." 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 Lindemann (1.40 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 share the surname Lindemann?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.