2000
#137,816
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Sollmann
A metonymic German occupational surname derived from the verb "sollen" meaning "must" or "should," referring to an official or public servant.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 127 Americans carry the last name Sollmann. That puts it at #148,665 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,698,853 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Sollmann 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
127
1 in 2,698,853
Census rank
#148,665
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
111
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 111 bearers of the surname Sollmann in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 148665th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Sollmann, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Sollmann
The surname "SOLLMANN" is of German origin, with its roots dating back to the 16th century in the regions of Bavaria and Saxony. It is believed to be derived from the Old German word "sol," meaning "muddy" or "marshy," and "mann," meaning "man," suggesting that the name may have originally referred to a person living in a marshy area or a location with a muddy soil composition.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the parish records of the town of Augsburg, Bavaria, from the late 16th century, where a certain Hans Sollmann is mentioned as a resident. In the 17th century, the name appears in various church records and tax registers across different parts of Germany, indicating its gradual spread and establishment.
A notable historical figure bearing the surname Sollmann was Johann Georg Sollmann (1670-1745), a German composer and organist who served at the Marienkirche in Rostock. His compositions, particularly his organ works, were widely acclaimed during his lifetime and contributed to the development of church music in northern Germany.
Another prominent individual was Friedrich Sollmann (1809-1876), a German architect and urban planner who played a significant role in the reconstruction and modernization of several German cities, including Berlin and Leipzig, in the aftermath of the Napoleonic Wars.
In the late 19th century, a branch of the Sollmann family immigrated to the United States, with one of the earliest recorded instances being that of Wilhelm Sollmann (1847-1917), who settled in New York and worked as a skilled craftsman. His descendants went on to establish themselves in various professions across the country.
During the early 20th century, Max Sollmann (1884-1957) gained recognition as a renowned German painter and printmaker, known for his landscapes and depictions of urban scenes. His works were exhibited in prestigious galleries and museums across Europe and are still highly regarded by art collectors and historians.
Another notable figure was Karl Sollmann (1901-1978), a German entrepreneur and industrialist who founded the Sollmann Machinery Company, a leading manufacturer of specialized equipment for the mining and construction industries. The company's innovative products and technologies contributed significantly to the development of these sectors in post-war Germany.
While the surname Sollmann has its roots in Germany, it has since spread to various parts of the world through migration and immigration, with individuals bearing this name making valuable contributions in diverse fields, ranging from the arts and sciences to business and industry.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Sollmann
Among Census respondents with the surname Sollmann, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Sollmann 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 Sollmann surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White96.4% · 107
- Hispanic or Latino2.7% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Sollmann
Sollmann 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
#146,201
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
+1 bearers (+0.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 8,385 places
2020
#148,665
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
-2 bearers (-1.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 2,464 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 | #146,201 | 113 | 0.04 | +1 bearers (+0.9%) | Down 8,385 places |
| 2020 | #148,665 | 111 | 0.04 | -2 bearers (-1.8%) | Down 2,464 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 Sollmann 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 | #146,201 | #148,665 | -1.7% |
| Count | 113 | 111 | -1.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -7.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Sollmann bearers went from 113 to 111 (-1.8% change). The surname moved down 2,464 positions in the national ranking, going from #146,201 to #148,665.
FAQ
Sollmann surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Sollmann?
Name Census estimates that about 127 living Americans carry the surname Sollmann. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,698,853 residents.
How common is Sollmann?
Sollmann ranks #148,665 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 111 people with the surname Sollmann. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (127), 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 Sollmann.
Has Sollmann become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Sollmann went from 113 recorded bearers to 111. That is a decrease of 2 (-1.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #146,201 to #148,665.
What does the Census say about the background of Sollmann?
Among Census respondents with the surname Sollmann, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%). 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 Sollmann in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.4% (107 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Sollmann appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (96.4%), Hispanic (2.7%), Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%). 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 Sollmann (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 Sollmann mean?
A metonymic German occupational surname derived from the verb "sollen" meaning "must" or "should," referring to an official or public servant. 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 Sollmann (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 have the surname Sollmann?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.