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

Sensmeier, 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 Sensmeier surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Sensmeier in America

Sensmeier is the 136449th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Sensmeier surname appeared 123 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 Sensmeier.

We can also compare 2010 data for Sensmeier 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 Sensmeier

The surname SENSMEIER originated in Germany, with its earliest recorded use dating back to the 15th century. The name is derived from the Middle High German words "senne" meaning a large pasture or meadow, and "meier" referring to a steward or overseer. Thus, the name likely referred to someone responsible for managing a communal grazing area.

The name was initially concentrated in the regions of Bavaria and Saxony, where it appeared in various spellings such as Sensmeyer, Sennsmair, and Sensmair. One of the earliest known records of the name is found in a land deed from the town of Nuremberg in 1472, which mentions a certain Hans Sensmeier.

In the 16th century, the SENSMEIER name began to appear in church records and municipal documents across southern Germany. Notable individuals from this period include Martin Sensmeier (1518-1592), a Lutheran pastor from Augsburg, and Anna Sensmeier (1542-1612), who was tried for witchcraft during the infamous Trier Witch Trials.

As the name spread, it also found its way into the annals of European nobility. In the 17th century, a branch of the Sensmeier family was granted noble status in the Holy Roman Empire, with the title of "Freiherr von Sensmeier." One prominent member of this line was Johann Sensmeier (1628-1701), a military commander who fought in the Thirty Years' War.

The 18th century saw the SENSMEIER name travel beyond German borders. Among the notable figures from this era was Johann Gottlieb Sensmeier (1746-1812), a Prussian-born artist who spent much of his career in Vienna, Austria. Another was Christoph Sensmeier (1772-1849), a German immigrant to America who settled in Pennsylvania and fought in the War of 1812.

By the 19th century, the SENSMEIER surname had spread across Europe and beyond. One notable bearer was Hugo Sensmeier (1839-1903), a German-born entrepreneur who founded a successful brewing company in San Francisco, California. Another was Ida Sensmeier (1858-1932), a celebrated German opera singer who performed throughout Europe and Russia.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Sensmeier

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

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

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

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