2010
#158,432
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.03
Very Rare Last name
Nemzer
A surname likely derived from a German or Slavic root meaning "mute" or "unable to speak."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 122 Americans carry the last name Nemzer. That puts it at #152,339 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,809,462 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Nemzer 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
122
1 in 2,809,462
Census rank
#152,339
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
106
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 106 bearers of the surname Nemzer in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152339th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Nemzer, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Nemzer
The surname Nemzer has its origins in German-speaking regions of Europe, likely emerging in the late medieval period around the 15th or 16th century. It is believed to be derived from the German word "Nemmer," which translates to "taker" or "receiver," suggesting that the name may have initially referred to an occupation or profession related to collecting or receiving goods or payments.
One of the earliest known references to the name Nemzer can be found in a historical document from the city of Nuremberg, dated to the late 16th century. This document mentions a merchant named Hans Nemzer, who was involved in the regional trade of textiles and spices. Additionally, there are records of a family with the surname Nemzer residing in the town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber in the 17th century, indicating the name's presence in various parts of what is now modern-day Germany.
In the 18th century, the name Nemzer appeared in several parish records and census documents in the German states of Bavaria and Saxony. One notable figure from this time period was Johann Georg Nemzer (1701-1778), a respected theologian and author from the city of Leipzig. His scholarly works on biblical exegesis and Christian ethics were widely circulated throughout German-speaking regions.
As the 19th century unfolded, the Nemzer surname began to spread further across Europe, likely due to migrations and population movements. Some examples of notable individuals with this last name include Friedrich Nemzer (1812-1892), a prominent German-Austrian architect who designed several landmark buildings in Vienna, and Emilie Nemzer (1838-1918), a German artist and painter known for her landscape and still life works.
In the early 20th century, the Nemzer name gained recognition through the contributions of Max Nemzer (1879-1948), a German-born American physicist and inventor who made significant advancements in the field of electron microscopy. His groundbreaking work on the development of the electron microscope earned him numerous accolades and awards.
While the surname Nemzer remains relatively uncommon globally, it has a rich history rooted in German-speaking cultures, with various individuals bearing this name making notable contributions across various fields throughout the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Nemzer
Among Census respondents with the surname Nemzer, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Nemzer 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 Nemzer surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.6% · 95
- Two or more races4.7% · 5
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.8% · 3
- Hispanic or Latino1.9% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Nemzer
Nemzer appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#152,339
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
+4 bearers (+3.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 6,093 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #158,432 | 102 | 0.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #152,339 | 106 | 0.04 | +4 bearers (+3.9%) | Up 6,093 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 Nemzer 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 | #158,432 | #152,339 | 3.8% |
| Count | 102 | 106 | 3.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 18.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Nemzer bearers went from 102 to 106 (+3.9% change). The surname moved up 6,093 positions in the national ranking, going from #158,432 to #152,339.
FAQ
Nemzer surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Nemzer?
Name Census estimates that about 122 living Americans carry the surname Nemzer. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,809,462 residents.
How common is Nemzer?
Nemzer ranks #152,339 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 106 people with the surname Nemzer. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (122), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Nemzer.
Has Nemzer become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Nemzer went from 102 recorded bearers to 106. That is an increase of 4 (+3.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #158,432 to #152,339.
What does the Census say about the background of Nemzer?
Among Census respondents with the surname Nemzer, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.8%). 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 Nemzer in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.6% (95 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Nemzer appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.6%), Two or More Races (4.7%), Asian/Pacific Islander (2.8%). 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 Nemzer (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 Nemzer mean?
A surname likely derived from a German or Slavic root meaning "mute" or "unable to speak." 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 Nemzer (0.04 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 have the last name Nemzer?
Want to know how common the surname Nemzer is? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.