2000
#9,092
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,304
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.22
Rare Last name
Naumann
A German occupational surname derived from "neuer mann," meaning "new man," likely referring to a newcomer to a community.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,812 Americans carry the last name Naumann. That puts it at #9,388 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.11 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 89,915 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Naumann 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
3.8K
1 in 89,915
Census rank
#9,388
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,324 bearers of the surname Naumann in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.11 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9388th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Naumann, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.7%) and Two or More Races (2.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Naumann
The surname NAUMANN is of German origin, deriving from the Old High German word 'naw', meaning 'corpse', and 'mann', meaning 'man'. It likely referred to an individual who worked as an undertaker or in a profession related to the handling of the deceased. The name can be traced back to the 13th century in various regions of modern-day Germany.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the NAUMANN surname appears in the "Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae Regiae" from 1350, which mentions a "Johannes Naumann" from the town of Zwickau in Saxony. Another early reference can be found in the "Bürgerverzeichnis der Stadt Chemnitz" (Citizen Registry of the City of Chemnitz) from 1492, listing a "Nickel Naumann".
In the 16th century, the NAUMANN name was documented in various regions, including a record of a "Hans Naumann" in the town of Eisenach in Thuringia in 1529, and a "Georg Naumann" in the city of Leipzig in 1578. The surname also appeared in place names, such as "Naumannsdorf" in Saxony, which likely derived from an individual or family bearing the NAUMANN name.
Notable individuals with the surname NAUMANN throughout history include Johann Gottlieb Naumann (1741-1801), a German composer and Kapellmeister who served in Dresden and Stockholm. Johann Andreas Naumann (1744-1826) was a German naturalist and ornithologist, known for his pioneering work in the study of birds. Karl Friedrich Naumann (1797-1873) was a German Protestant theologian and philosopher who taught at the University of Leipzig.
In the field of literature, Gustav Naumann (1868-1929) was a German novelist and playwright, known for his works depicting rural life in Saxony. Friedrich Naumann (1860-1919) was a prominent German politician and writer, who co-founded the German Democratic Party and served as a member of the Reichstag.
These examples showcase the historical significance and distribution of the NAUMANN surname, primarily concentrated in regions of Germany, particularly Saxony and Thuringia, but also extending to other parts of Europe through migration and cultural exchange.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Naumann
Among Census respondents with the surname Naumann, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.7%) and Two or More Races (2.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Naumann 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 Naumann surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.4% · 3,070
- Hispanic or Latino3.7% · 122
- Two or more races2.9% · 96
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 25
- Black or African American0.3% · 9
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Naumann
Naumann 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
#9,669
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,356
+52 bearers (+1.6%)
Per 100,000 1.14
Rank movement Down 577 places
2020
#9,388
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,324
-32 bearers (-1.0%)
Per 100,000 1.11
Rank movement Up 281 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,092 | 3,304 | 1.22 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,669 | 3,356 | 1.14 | +52 bearers (+1.6%) | Down 577 places |
| 2020 | #9,388 | 3,324 | 1.11 | -32 bearers (-1.0%) | Up 281 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 Naumann 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 | #9,669 | #9,388 | 2.9% |
| Count | 3,356 | 3,324 | -1.0% |
| Per 100K | 1.14 | 1.11 | -2.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Naumann bearers went from 3,356 to 3,324 (-1.0% change). The surname moved up 281 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,669 to #9,388.
FAQ
Naumann surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Naumann?
Name Census estimates that about 3,812 living Americans carry the surname Naumann. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 89,915 residents.
How common is Naumann?
Naumann ranks #9,388 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.11 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 3,324 people with the surname Naumann. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,812), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.11 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.11 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 Naumann.
Has Naumann become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Naumann went from 3,356 recorded bearers to 3,324. That is a decrease of 32 (-1.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #9,669 to #9,388.
What does the Census say about the background of Naumann?
Among Census respondents with the surname Naumann, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.7%) and Two or More Races (2.9%). 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 Naumann in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.4% (3,070 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Naumann appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.4%), Hispanic (3.7%), Two or More Races (2.9%). 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 Naumann (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 Naumann mean?
A German occupational surname derived from "neuer mann," meaning "new man," likely referring to a newcomer to a community. 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 Naumann (1.11 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 Americans have the surname Naumann?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.