2000
#137,816
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Sleesman
A surname possibly derived from the Dutch occupation "slee", referring to a sled or sledge maker.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 132 Americans carry the last name Sleesman. That puts it at #145,757 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,596,624 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Sleesman 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
132
1 in 2,596,624
Census rank
#145,757
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
115
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 115 bearers of the surname Sleesman in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 145757th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Sleesman, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.1%) and Hispanic (2.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Sleesman
The surname SLEESMAN has its origins in the Netherlands, dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to be derived from the Dutch word "sleeman," which referred to a sluice or canal manager, responsible for overseeing the intricate system of waterways that crisscrossed the low-lying region.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in a Dutch municipal record from the city of Leiden in 1587, where a certain Pieter Sleesman is mentioned as having been appointed as the sluice master for a local canal. This document provides valuable insight into the occupational origins of the surname.
In the 17th century, the SLEESMAN name surfaced in various regions of the Netherlands, particularly in the provinces of Zuid-Holland and Utrecht. During this period, a notable figure bearing the name was Jan Sleesman (1625-1692), a renowned hydraulic engineer who played a crucial role in the construction of several major dikes and canal systems across the country.
As the Dutch colonized parts of the New World, the SLEESMAN surname eventually made its way across the Atlantic. One of the earliest documented examples in North America is that of Dirk Sleesman, who arrived in New Amsterdam (present-day New York City) in 1648, having immigrated from the Dutch city of Leiden.
In the 18th century, the SLEESMAN name began to appear in historical records from other parts of Europe, such as Germany and England. This was likely due to the migration of Dutch families seeking new opportunities abroad. One notable individual from this era was Johann Sleesman (1712-1784), a German architect who designed several notable buildings in the city of Dresden.
Throughout the 19th century, the SLEESMAN surname continued to spread across various parts of the world, carried by Dutch emigrants and their descendants. Notable figures from this time period include the British explorer and naturalist William Sleesman (1818-1892), who traveled extensively in Africa and documented numerous plant and animal species.
Overall, the surname SLEESMAN has a rich history deeply rooted in the Netherlands' intricate system of waterways and canals, with its origins dating back to the 16th century. While the name has since spread across the globe, it remains a testament to the pioneering spirit and engineering prowess of its earliest bearers.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Sleesman
Among Census respondents with the surname Sleesman, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.1%) and Hispanic (2.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Sleesman 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 Sleesman surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.6% · 103
- Two or more races6.1% · 7
- Hispanic or Latino2.6% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.7% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Sleesman
Sleesman 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
#147,253
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
+0 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 9,437 places
2020
#145,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
+3 bearers (+2.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 1,496 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #137,816 | 112 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #147,253 | 112 | 0.04 | +0 bearers (+0.0%) | Down 9,437 places |
| 2020 | #145,757 | 115 | 0.04 | +3 bearers (+2.7%) | Up 1,496 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 Sleesman 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 | #147,253 | #145,757 | 1.0% |
| Count | 112 | 115 | 2.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -3.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Sleesman bearers went from 112 to 115 (+2.7% change). The surname moved up 1,496 positions in the national ranking, going from #147,253 to #145,757.
FAQ
Sleesman surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Sleesman?
Name Census estimates that about 132 living Americans carry the surname Sleesman. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,596,624 residents.
How common is Sleesman?
Sleesman ranks #145,757 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 115 people with the surname Sleesman. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (132), 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 Sleesman.
Has Sleesman become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Sleesman went from 112 recorded bearers to 115. That is an increase of 3 (+2.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #147,253 to #145,757.
What does the Census say about the background of Sleesman?
Among Census respondents with the surname Sleesman, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.1%) and Hispanic (2.6%). 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 Sleesman in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.6% (103 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Sleesman appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.6%), Two or More Races (6.1%), Hispanic (2.6%). 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 Sleesman (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 Sleesman mean?
A surname possibly derived from the Dutch occupation "slee", referring to a sled or sledge maker. 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 Sleesman (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 Americans have the surname Sleesman?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.