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

Nortman, 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 Nortman surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Nortman in America

Nortman is the 60196th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Nortman surname appeared 335 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Nortman.

We can also compare 2010 data for Nortman 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 Nortman

The surname Nortman originated in regions of Germany and the Netherlands during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old German words "nord" meaning north and "mann" meaning man, indicating that the earliest bearers likely hailed from northern areas of these territories.

One of the earliest known records of the name appears in the Codex Diplomaticus, a collection of medieval charters and manuscripts from the 9th century, where a Nortmannus is referenced as a witness to a land transaction. This suggests the surname was already established by this time.

In the 11th century, a Nortman family is mentioned in the chronicles of the Benedictine monastery in Hildesheim, Lower Saxony. This suggests the name had spread to various regions across northern Germany by this point.

During the 13th century, a notable bearer of the name was Henricus Nortman, a merchant and alderman in the city of Lübeck. Records indicate he was born around 1210 and played a role in the city's governing council.

Another early example is Johannes Nortman, a scholar and priest who lived from approximately 1325 to 1400. He served as a canon at the cathedral in Münster and was known for his writings on theology.

In the 15th century, Gerhard Nortman, born around 1440 in Westphalia, was a respected goldsmith and artist who created intricate religious artifacts and jewelry for noble patrons across northern Europe.

As the name spread, variations in spelling emerged, such as Northmann, Nortmann, and Nordtmann, reflecting regional linguistic differences. Some of these spellings were also used interchangeably with the original Nortman form.

While not as common today, the Nortman surname still maintains a presence, particularly in areas of Germany and the Netherlands where it first appeared centuries ago. Its longevity is a testament to the rich cultural heritage it represents.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Nortman

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

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

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

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