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

Semler, 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 Semler surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Semler in America

Semler is the 16395th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Semler surname appeared 1,755 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 Semler.

We can also compare 2010 data for Semler 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 Semler

The surname Semler is of German origin and is believed to have originated in the 16th century. It is derived from the German word "Semmel," which means a small loaf or roll of bread. The name was likely given to a baker or someone associated with the baking trade.

The earliest recorded instance of the name Semler can be found in the church records of Saxony, Germany, where a Johann Semler was listed as a resident in the village of Schöneck in 1567. Another early reference to the name is found in the baptismal records of St. Peter's Church in Erfurt, where a child named Hans Semler was baptized in 1602.

In the 17th century, the name Semler appeared in various regions of Germany, including Saxony, Thuringia, and Bavaria. One notable bearer of the name was Johann Salomo Semler, a German theologian and biblical scholar who lived from 1725 to 1791. He was a prominent figure in the Protestant Enlightenment and is considered a pioneer of biblical criticism.

In the 18th century, the Semler name spread to other parts of Europe as German immigrants settled in new lands. For instance, a Johann Friedrich Semler was born in 1754 in Dürkheim, Germany, and later emigrated to Russia, where he became a respected merchant and landowner.

Another historical figure with the surname Semler was Carl August Semler, a German physician and naturalist who lived from 1767 to 1825. He made significant contributions to the study of botany and zoology and was known for his extensive collection of natural specimens.

In the 19th century, the Semler name found its way to North America as German immigrants sought new opportunities. One such immigrant was Christian Semler, who was born in 1822 in Saxony and later settled in Pennsylvania, where he worked as a farmer and industrialist.

As the Semler surname spread across various regions and cultures, it underwent some variations in spelling, including Semmler, Sembler, and Semlinger. However, the core meaning and origin of the name remained rooted in the German word "Semmel" and its association with the baking trade.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Semler

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

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

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

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