2000
#146,011
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Simmerer
A surname referring to someone who simmered or gently boiled liquids.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 130 Americans carry the last name Simmerer. That puts it at #147,221 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,636,572 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Simmerer 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
130
1 in 2,636,572
Census rank
#147,221
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
113
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 113 bearers of the surname Simmerer in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147221st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Simmerer, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.7%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (6.2%) and Hispanic (3.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Simmerer
The surname Simmerer is believed to have originated in Germany, with roots dating back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the German word "simmern," which means "to simmer" or "to boil." This suggests that the name may have originally been associated with occupations related to cooking or brewing, such as a baker, brewer, or chef.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Simmerer can be found in the Würzburg Chronicles, a medieval manuscript dating back to the 13th century. Here, a certain "Heinrich Simmerer" is mentioned as a resident of the city of Würzburg in the year 1278.
In the 15th century, the name Simmerer appeared in various records across Germany, including the town of Landau in the Palatinate region. Historical documents from this period mention a "Hans Simmerer," who was a respected brewer and tavern owner.
As the name spread across Europe, variations in spelling emerged. In France, for instance, the name was often written as "Simmaire" or "Simaire." This variation can be found in records from the 16th century, such as the baptismal register of the parish of Saint-Germain-des-Prés in Paris, which lists a "Jacques Simaire" born in 1542.
One notable figure bearing the name Simmerer was Johann Simmerer (1529-1592), a German theologian and reformer from Nuremberg. He played a significant role in the Protestant Reformation and was a close associate of the famous reformer Philipp Melanchthon.
Another historical figure was Magdalena Simmerer (1675-1745), a German painter and engraver from Augsburg. She was renowned for her intricate engravings of religious scenes and landscapes, and her works can be found in various museums across Europe.
In the 18th century, the name Simmerer gained prominence in Austria, with the birth of Johann Baptist Simmerer (1737-1801), a renowned composer and organist from Vienna. He was known for his sacred compositions and served as the organist at St. Stephen's Cathedral.
The 19th century saw the migration of many Simmerers to the United States, where they settled in various regions, including Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Texas. One notable American with this surname was William Simmerer (1876-1954), a successful businessman and philanthropist from Philadelphia.
Throughout history, the surname Simmerer has been associated with various professions and backgrounds, from brewers and chefs to theologians, artists, and entrepreneurs. Its origins can be traced back to the heart of medieval Germany, where it likely emerged as an occupational surname related to the art of cooking and brewing.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Simmerer
Among Census respondents with the surname Simmerer, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.7%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (6.2%) and Hispanic (3.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Simmerer 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 Simmerer surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White86.7% · 98
- Asian and Pacific Islander6.2% · 7
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 4
- Two or more races3.5% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Simmerer
Simmerer 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
#159,712
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101
-3 bearers (-2.9%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 13,701 places
2020
#147,221
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
+12 bearers (+11.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 12,491 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #146,011 | 104 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #159,712 | 101 | 0.03 | -3 bearers (-2.9%) | Down 13,701 places |
| 2020 | #147,221 | 113 | 0.04 | +12 bearers (+11.9%) | Up 12,491 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 Simmerer 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 | #159,712 | #147,221 | 7.8% |
| Count | 101 | 113 | 11.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 26.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Simmerer bearers went from 101 to 113 (+11.9% change). The surname moved up 12,491 positions in the national ranking, going from #159,712 to #147,221.
FAQ
Simmerer surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Simmerer?
Name Census estimates that about 130 living Americans carry the surname Simmerer. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,636,572 residents.
How common is Simmerer?
Simmerer ranks #147,221 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 113 people with the surname Simmerer. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (130), 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 Simmerer.
Has Simmerer become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Simmerer went from 101 recorded bearers to 113. That is an increase of 12 (+11.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #159,712 to #147,221.
What does the Census say about the background of Simmerer?
Among Census respondents with the surname Simmerer, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.7%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (6.2%) and Hispanic (3.5%). 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 Simmerer in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.7% (98 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Simmerer appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (86.7%), Asian/Pacific Islander (6.2%), Hispanic (3.5%). 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 Simmerer (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 Simmerer mean?
A surname referring to someone who simmered or gently boiled liquids. 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 Simmerer (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 people share the surname Simmerer?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.