Semling last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Semling

A locational surname possibly referring to a person from Semling, Germany.

Semling, 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 Semling surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Semling in America

Semling is the 106096th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Semling surname appeared 168 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 Semling.

We can also compare 2010 data for Semling 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.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 106096 118236 -10.82%
Count 168 136 21.05%
Proportion per 100k 0.06 0.05 18.18%

The history of the last name Semling

The surname Semling is of German origin and dates back to the late Middle Ages, around the 14th century. It is derived from the Old German word "semel," which means "small" or "little," and the suffix "-ing," which denotes belonging or possession. This suggests that the name may have referred to someone of small stature or a descendant of someone with that physical characteristic.

The earliest recorded instances of the name Semling can be found in historical documents and records from various regions of present-day Germany, such as Bavaria and Saxony. It appears in several medieval manuscripts and village records from the 15th and 16th centuries, although the exact dates and locations are difficult to pinpoint due to variations in spellings and transcriptions.

One notable mention of the name Semling can be found in the chronicles of the town of Weissenburg, located in present-day Bavaria, which dates back to the late 15th century. Here, a certain Hans Semling is mentioned as a respected merchant and landowner who played a significant role in the town's economic and political affairs.

Another early recorded instance of the name Semling is linked to a prominent family in the city of Leipzig, in the region of Saxony. In the 16th century, a man named Johann Semling was a respected scholar and professor at the University of Leipzig, known for his contributions to the fields of philosophy and theology.

In the 17th century, a notable figure bearing the surname Semling was Johann Georg Semling, a renowned architect and builder from the city of Dresden. He was responsible for the construction of several grand buildings and churches in the city, many of which still stand today as architectural landmarks.

During the 18th century, a man named Friedrich Semling gained recognition as a skilled clockmaker and watchmaker in the town of Nuremberg. His intricate and beautifully crafted timepieces were highly sought after by nobility and the wealthy throughout Europe.

Moving into the 19th century, a prominent figure with the surname Semling was Karl Semling, a renowned writer and poet from the city of Berlin. His works, which often explored themes of nature and the human condition, were widely celebrated and earned him a place among the literary greats of his time.

Throughout its long history, the surname Semling has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including artisans, scholars, merchants, and artists. While not always in the limelight, the name has endured and been passed down through generations, leaving an indelible mark on the cultural and historical fabric of Germany and beyond.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Semling

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

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 Semling was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 98.21% 165
Non-Hispanic Black Only 0.00% 0
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races (S)% (S)
Hispanic Origin 0.00% 0

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 Semling has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 98.21% 99.00% -0.80%
Black 0.00% 0.00% 0.00%
Asian and Pacific Islander (S)% 0.00% (S)%
American Indian and Alaskan Native (S)% 0.00% (S)%
Two or More Races (S)% 0.00% (S)%
Hispanic 0.00% 0.00% 0.00%

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

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

Reference this page

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"Semling last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on July 16, 2025. http://namecensus.com/last-names/semling-surname-popularity/.

"Semling last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/semling-surname-popularity/. Accessed 16 July, 2025

Semling last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/semling-surname-popularity/.

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