2000
#8,803
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,426
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.27
Rare Last name
Neiman
A Jewish surname derived from the male given name Neumann, meaning "new man" in German.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,913 Americans carry the last name Neiman. That puts it at #9,182 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.14 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 87,594 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Neiman 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
3.9K
1 in 87,594
Census rank
#9,182
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,412 bearers of the surname Neiman in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.14 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9182nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Neiman, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.0%) and Two or More Races (2.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Neiman
Among Census respondents with the surname Neiman, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.0%) and Two or More Races (2.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Neiman 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 Neiman surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.4% · 3,152
- Hispanic or Latino4.0% · 135
- Two or more races2.1% · 72
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 27
- Black or African American0.5% · 18
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 8
Timeline
Historical Census data for Neiman
Neiman 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
#8,713
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,766
+340 bearers (+9.9%)
Per 100,000 1.28
Rank movement Up 90 places
2020
#9,182
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,412
-354 bearers (-9.4%)
Per 100,000 1.14
Rank movement Down 469 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,803 | 3,426 | 1.27 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,713 | 3,766 | 1.28 | +340 bearers (+9.9%) | Up 90 places |
| 2020 | #9,182 | 3,412 | 1.14 | -354 bearers (-9.4%) | Down 469 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 Neiman 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 | #8,713 | #9,182 | -5.4% |
| Count | 3,766 | 3,412 | -9.4% |
| Per 100K | 1.28 | 1.14 | -10.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Neiman bearers went from 3,766 to 3,412 (-9.4% change). The surname moved down 469 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,713 to #9,182.
FAQ
Neiman surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Neiman?
Name Census estimates that about 3,913 living Americans carry the surname Neiman. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 87,594 residents.
How common is Neiman?
Neiman ranks #9,182 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.14 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 3,412 people with the surname Neiman. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,913), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.14 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.14 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 Neiman.
Has Neiman become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Neiman went from 3,766 recorded bearers to 3,412. That is a decrease of 354 (-9.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #8,713 to #9,182.
What does the Census say about the background of Neiman?
Among Census respondents with the surname Neiman, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.0%) and Two or More Races (2.1%). 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 Neiman in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.4% (3,152 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Neiman appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.4%), Hispanic (4.0%), Two or More Races (2.1%). 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 Neiman (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 Neiman mean?
A Jewish surname derived from the male given name Neumann, meaning "new man" in German. 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 Neiman (1.14 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 Neiman?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.