2000
#11,696
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,457
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.91
Rare Last name
Seeman
A German occupational surname referring to a seaman, mariner, or one who works on or with boats.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,337 Americans carry the last name Seeman. That puts it at #14,145 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.68 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 146,664 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Seeman 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
2.3K
1 in 146,664
Census rank
#14,145
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,038 bearers of the surname Seeman in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.68 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14145th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Seeman, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Two or More Races (3.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Seeman
The surname SEEMAN is of German origin, tracing its roots back to the Middle Ages. It is believed to have derived from the German word "Seemann," which translates to "seaman" or "sailor." This suggests that the earliest bearers of this surname were likely involved in maritime activities or lived in coastal regions.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the SEEMAN name can be found in the historical records of the German port city of Hamburg, where it appears in a document dated 1492. This document mentions a certain Hans SEEMAN, a merchant sailor who traded goods along the Baltic Sea routes.
Throughout the 16th and 17th centuries, variations of the SEEMAN surname emerged, such as SEEMANN, SEEMANN, and SEHMANN, reflecting the fluid nature of spelling conventions during that time. These variations were often found in coastal towns and cities across northern Germany, as well as in the Netherlands and Scandinavia.
In the 18th century, a notable figure bearing the SEEMAN surname was Johann Friedrich SEEMAN (1733-1807), a German theologian and author who published several works on religious philosophy and ethics.
As German immigrants began to settle in North America in the 19th century, the SEEMAN name also found its way across the Atlantic. One such individual was Carl SEEMAN (1810-1888), a German-born farmer who settled in Wisconsin and became a prominent figure in the local agricultural community.
Another noteworthy bearer of the SEEMAN name was Heinrich SEEMAN (1852-1935), a German-American artist and painter known for his landscape paintings depicting the American West.
In the 20th century, the SEEMAN surname gained further recognition with individuals like Bertram SEEMAN (1901-1971), an American businessman and philanthropist who made significant contributions to various educational institutions and charitable organizations.
Throughout its history, the SEEMAN surname has maintained a strong connection to its maritime origins, with many bearers of the name associated with coastal regions, seafaring occupations, or activities related to the sea.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Seeman
Among Census respondents with the surname Seeman, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Two or More Races (3.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Seeman 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 Seeman surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.7% · 1,868
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 70
- Two or more races3.0% · 62
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.3% · 27
- Black or African American0.4% · 8
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Seeman
Seeman 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
#12,795
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,410
-47 bearers (-1.9%)
Per 100,000 0.82
Rank movement Down 1,099 places
2020
#14,145
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,038
-372 bearers (-15.4%)
Per 100,000 0.68
Rank movement Down 1,350 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #11,696 | 2,457 | 0.91 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #12,795 | 2,410 | 0.82 | -47 bearers (-1.9%) | Down 1,099 places |
| 2020 | #14,145 | 2,038 | 0.68 | -372 bearers (-15.4%) | Down 1,350 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 Seeman 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 | #12,795 | #14,145 | -10.6% |
| Count | 2,410 | 2,038 | -15.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.82 | 0.68 | -16.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Seeman bearers went from 2,410 to 2,038 (-15.4% change). The surname moved down 1,350 positions in the national ranking, going from #12,795 to #14,145.
FAQ
Seeman surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Seeman?
Name Census estimates that about 2,337 living Americans carry the surname Seeman. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 146,664 residents.
How common is Seeman?
Seeman ranks #14,145 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.68 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 2,038 people with the surname Seeman. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,337), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.68 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.68 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 Seeman.
Has Seeman become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Seeman went from 2,410 recorded bearers to 2,038. That is a decrease of 372 (-15.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #12,795 to #14,145.
What does the Census say about the background of Seeman?
Among Census respondents with the surname Seeman, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Two or More Races (3.0%). 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 Seeman in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.7% (1,868 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Seeman appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.7%), Hispanic (3.4%), Two or More Races (3.0%). 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 Seeman (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 Seeman mean?
A German occupational surname referring to a seaman, mariner, or one who works on or with boats. 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 Seeman (0.68 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 are called Seeman?
Find out how many Americans have the surname Seeman on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.