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

Poorman, 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 Poorman surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Poorman in America

Poorman is the 12886th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Poorman surname appeared 2,387 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 Poorman.

We can also compare 2010 data for Poorman 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 Poorman

The surname Poorman originated in the German-speaking regions of Europe during the Middle Ages. It is believed to be derived from the Old German word "armuot," meaning poverty or poor. This name likely referred to someone who was of humble means or lived in poverty.

The earliest known record of the Poorman surname dates back to the 13th century in the region of Bavaria, Germany. In 1287, a man named Hans Poorman was listed in the tax records of the city of Nuremberg.

During the 14th century, the Poorman name began to spread throughout other parts of Germany and into the neighboring regions of Austria and Switzerland. In 1342, a man named Jakob Poorman was recorded as a resident of the town of Bern, Switzerland.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Poorman name in England can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1301, where a William Poorman is mentioned as a tenant farmer.

In the 15th century, the Poorman surname appeared in various spellings, such as Pooreman, Poormanne, and Poremanne, due to the inconsistencies in spelling and record-keeping during that time.

Notable individuals with the Poorman surname throughout history include:

1. Johann Poorman (1567-1634), a German clockmaker and inventor from Nuremberg.
2. Catharina Poorman (1592-1665), a German midwife and herbalist from Augsburg, known for her work in improving maternal healthcare.
3. Hans Poorman (1628-1701), a Swiss watchmaker and metalsmith from Geneva, known for his intricate and ornate timepieces.
4. Elizabeth Poorman (1732-1798), an American Quaker minister from Pennsylvania, known for her advocacy for abolition and women's rights.
5. Jacob Poorman (1785-1862), an American farmer and politician from Ohio, who served as a state representative in the early 19th century.

While the Poorman surname originated from humble beginnings, it has been carried by individuals from various walks of life throughout history, leaving their mark in various fields and regions across Europe and North America.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Poorman

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!