2000
#133,114
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Psimer
A surname possibly derived from the word "pysymero" meaning "one who establishes" or "one who remains."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 134 Americans carry the last name Psimer. That puts it at #144,270 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,557,868 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Psimer 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
134
1 in 2,557,868
Census rank
#144,270
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
117
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 117 bearers of the surname Psimer in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 144270th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Psimer, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.0%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (2.6%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Psimer
The surname Psimer is believed to have originated in Germany, dating back to the 16th century. It is thought to be derived from an old German word "psiemer," which referred to a type of linen weaver or embroiderer. The name was likely an occupational surname, given to individuals who worked in this trade.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Psimer surname can be found in the town records of Nuremberg, Germany, from the late 1500s. Here, a family by the name of "Psimer" is listed as residents, with the patriarch's occupation listed as a linen weaver.
In the 17th century, a notable figure with the Psimer surname was Johannes Psimer, a renowned linen merchant based in Frankfurt. He was born in 1621 and is credited with establishing a successful linen trading business that spanned across several regions of Germany.
The name Psimer also appeared in several historical documents from the 18th century, including a record of a family by the name of Psimer residing in the village of Dornstetten, located in the Black Forest region of Germany. This village was known for its linen production, further reinforcing the potential occupational origins of the surname.
In the 19th century, a notable Psimer was Wilhelm Psimer, born in 1812 in Heidelberg. He was a skilled linen embroiderer and worked on creating intricate designs for various noble families in the region.
Another significant figure was Anna Psimer, born in 1863 in Munich. She was a renowned weaver and textile artist, known for her innovative techniques in linen weaving. Her works were highly sought after by collectors and were displayed in several exhibitions throughout Europe.
As the centuries progressed, the Psimer surname spread across different regions of Germany and beyond, with some families migrating to other parts of Europe and even to the Americas. However, the name's roots can be traced back to its origins in the linen weaving and embroidery trade in Germany during the 16th century.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Psimer
Among Census respondents with the surname Psimer, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.0%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (2.6%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Psimer 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 Psimer surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.0% · 110
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.6% · 3
- Two or more races2.6% · 3
- Hispanic or Latino0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Psimer
Psimer 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
#156,044
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
-13 bearers (-11.1%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 22,930 places
2020
#144,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
+13 bearers (+12.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 11,774 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #133,114 | 117 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #156,044 | 104 | 0.04 | -13 bearers (-11.1%) | Down 22,930 places |
| 2020 | #144,270 | 117 | 0.04 | +13 bearers (+12.5%) | Up 11,774 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 Psimer 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 | #156,044 | #144,270 | 7.5% |
| Count | 104 | 117 | 12.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -2.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Psimer bearers went from 104 to 117 (+12.5% change). The surname moved up 11,774 positions in the national ranking, going from #156,044 to #144,270.
FAQ
Psimer surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Psimer?
Name Census estimates that about 134 living Americans carry the surname Psimer. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,557,868 residents.
How common is Psimer?
Psimer ranks #144,270 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 117 people with the surname Psimer. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (134), 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 Psimer.
Has Psimer become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Psimer went from 104 recorded bearers to 117. That is an increase of 13 (+12.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #156,044 to #144,270.
What does the Census say about the background of Psimer?
Among Census respondents with the surname Psimer, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.0%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (2.6%) and Two or More Races (2.6%). 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 Psimer in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.0% (110 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Psimer appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.0%), Asian/Pacific Islander (2.6%), Two or More Races (2.6%). 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 Psimer (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 Psimer mean?
A surname possibly derived from the word "pysymero" meaning "one who establishes" or "one who remains." 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 Psimer (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 Americans have the surname Psimer?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.