Neiman last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Neiman

A Jewish surname derived from the male given name Neumann, meaning "new man" in German.

Neiman, 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 Neiman surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Neiman in America

Neiman is the 8713th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Neiman surname appeared 3,766 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Neiman.

We can also compare 2010 data for Neiman 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.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 8713 8803 -1.03%
Count 3,766 3,426 9.45%
Proportion per 100k 1.28 1.27 0.78%

The history of the last name Neiman

The surname Neiman has its origins in Germany, specifically in the regions of Saxony and Silesia. It is believed to have emerged sometime around the 13th or 14th century. The name is derived from the German word "Neumann," which literally translates to "new man" or "newcomer."

This surname was likely given to individuals who had recently settled in a particular area or village. It was a way to distinguish them from the established residents. Over time, the name evolved into various spellings, such as Neiman, Neyman, and Naiman.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Neiman can be found in the Meissen Cathedral records of Saxony, dating back to the late 15th century. It mentions a certain Johann Neiman, who was a prominent merchant in the region.

In the 16th century, a notable figure bearing this surname was Martin Neiman (1510-1578), a German theologian and reformer. He was a staunch supporter of Martin Luther and played a significant role in spreading the Protestant Reformation in parts of Saxony.

Another historical figure of note is Caspar Neiman (1648-1715), a German painter and engraver. He was particularly known for his works depicting landscapes and architectural scenes. His paintings can be found in various galleries and museums across Europe.

During the 17th century, the name also appeared in some records from Silesia, a region that was then part of the Holy Roman Empire. One such example is Hans Neiman (1620-1690), a landowner and local official in the town of Breslau (now Wrocław, Poland).

In the 19th century, a prominent bearer of the Neiman surname was Karl Neiman (1819-1888), a German botanist and explorer. He made significant contributions to the study of plant life in South America, particularly in Brazil and Argentina.

Another notable figure from this era was Ernst Neiman (1859-1924), a German industrialist and entrepreneur. He founded the Neiman & Co. machinery manufacturing company, which played a crucial role in the industrialization of Germany.

It is important to note that the surname Neiman has spread across various parts of the world due to migration and diaspora. However, its roots can be traced back to the German regions of Saxony and Silesia, where it first emerged as a way to identify newcomers and settlers.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Neiman

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

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 Neiman was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 94.37% 3,554
Non-Hispanic Black Only 0.64% 24
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only 0.80% 30
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.19% 7
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 1.25% 47
Hispanic Origin 2.76% 104

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 Neiman has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 94.37% 95.91% -1.62%
Black 0.64% 0.47% 30.63%
Asian and Pacific Islander 0.80% 0.61% 26.95%
American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.19% 0.41% -73.33%
Two or More Races 1.25% 1.02% 20.26%
Hispanic 2.76% 1.58% 54.38%

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

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

Reference this page

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"Neiman last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on November 25, 2024. http://namecensus.com/last-names/neiman-surname-popularity/.

"Neiman last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/neiman-surname-popularity/. Accessed 25 November, 2024

Neiman last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/neiman-surname-popularity/.

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