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

Musselman, 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 Musselman surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Musselman in America

Musselman is the 5516th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Musselman surname appeared 6,306 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Musselman.

We can also compare 2010 data for Musselman 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 Musselman

The surname MUSSELMAN is of German origin, derived from the word "Muselmann" which means "Muslim" or "Moor". It first emerged in the Middle Ages, likely during the Crusades when Europeans encountered Muslims in the Holy Land and parts of Spain.

The name initially referred to someone of Muslim or Arabic descent, but over time it became a surname used by both Christians and Muslims. It may have also been applied to merchants or travelers who had dealings with Muslims or came from areas with a significant Muslim population.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the "Liber Monstrorum" (Book of Monsters), a 12th-century manuscript that lists various surnames, including "Musselman". This suggests the name was already in use by the late 12th century.

In the 13th century, there are records of a "Johannes Musselman" in the city of Cologne, Germany. This may be one of the earliest documented individuals with this surname.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the name appears in various town and church records across Germany, particularly in regions like Saxony, Bavaria, and the Rhineland. Spellings like "Mußelman", "Muselman", and "Mussulmann" were also common variations.

One notable figure with this surname was Johann Musselman (1613-1681), a German theologian and author from Saxony who wrote extensively on religious topics.

In the 18th century, a branch of the Musselman family settled in Pennsylvania, United States, where they became known for their involvement in the German-American community. Jacob Musselman (1736-1801) was a prominent figure in this lineage, serving as a militiaman during the American Revolutionary War.

Another significant individual was Wilhelm Musselman (1843-1919), a German-American businessman and philanthropist who co-founded the Musselman Fruit Company in Pennsylvania, which became a leading producer of canned fruits and vegetables.

By the 19th and 20th centuries, the Musselman surname had spread across various parts of Europe and North America, with many individuals achieving recognition in various fields, such as Johann Musselman (1823-1897), a German-American journalist and politician in Ohio, and Paul Musselman (1885-1961), a Canadian politician and businessman from Ontario.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Musselman

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

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

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

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