2010
#159,712
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.03
Very Rare Last name
Sulzmann
A locational surname originating from a place name derived from the German words "sulz" (brine) and "mann" (man).
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 125 Americans carry the last name Sulzmann. That puts it at #150,205 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,742,035 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Sulzmann 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
125
1 in 2,742,035
Census rank
#150,205
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
109
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 109 bearers of the surname Sulzmann in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150205th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Sulzmann, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.4%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (1.8%) and Two or More Races (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Sulzmann
The surname Sulzmann originated in Germany, with records dating back to the late 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the German word "sulze," meaning "brine" or "pickle," suggesting an occupation or location associated with pickling or preserving foods. The name is particularly common in the regions of Bavaria and Saxony.
One of the earliest known references to the Sulzmann name can be found in the records of the town of Nuremberg, where a certain Hans Sulzmann was listed as a resident in 1598. Another early mention comes from the parish records of the village of Gröbenzell, near Munich, where a Johannes Sulzmann was recorded as a resident in 1612.
In the 18th century, the Sulzmann family had a notable presence in the city of Leipzig, with several members working as merchants and tradesmen. One such individual was Christian Sulzmann (1720-1789), a successful merchant who established a reputable business dealing in textiles and luxury goods.
The name Sulzmann also appears in some historical literature, such as the work of the 19th-century German author and historian Wilhelm Raabe. In his novel, "Der Hungerpastor" (The Hunger Pastor), published in 1864, one of the characters is named Sulzmann, though it is unclear if this was inspired by a real person or family.
Noteworthy individuals with the surname Sulzmann include:
1. Johann Sulzmann (1822-1897), a German painter and illustrator known for his landscape and genre scenes depicting rural life in Bavaria.
2. Karl Sulzmann (1851-1922), a German architect and engineer who designed several notable buildings in Berlin and other cities in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
3. Erich Sulzmann (1885-1944), a German military officer who served in both World Wars and achieved the rank of General der Infanterie during World War II.
4. Heinrich Sulzmann (1910-1979), a German composer and music educator who taught at various universities and conservatories in Germany and Austria.
5. Bernd Sulzmann (born 1962), a contemporary German saxophonist and composer known for his contributions to the modern jazz scene.
While the surname Sulzmann may have originated from humble beginnings related to pickling or food preservation, it has since been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including artists, architects, military figures, and musicians, contributing to the rich tapestry of German culture and history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Sulzmann
Among Census respondents with the surname Sulzmann, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.4%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (1.8%) and Two or More Races (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Sulzmann 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 Sulzmann surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White95.4% · 104
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.8% · 2
- Two or more races1.8% · 2
- Hispanic or Latino0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Sulzmann
Sulzmann appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#150,205
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
+8 bearers (+7.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 9,507 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #159,712 | 101 | 0.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #150,205 | 109 | 0.04 | +8 bearers (+7.9%) | Up 9,507 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 Sulzmann 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 | #150,205 | 6.0% |
| Count | 101 | 109 | 7.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 21.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Sulzmann bearers went from 101 to 109 (+7.9% change). The surname moved up 9,507 positions in the national ranking, going from #159,712 to #150,205.
FAQ
Sulzmann surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Sulzmann?
Name Census estimates that about 125 living Americans carry the surname Sulzmann. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,742,035 residents.
How common is Sulzmann?
Sulzmann ranks #150,205 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 109 people with the surname Sulzmann. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (125), 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 Sulzmann.
Has Sulzmann become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Sulzmann went from 101 recorded bearers to 109. That is an increase of 8 (+7.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #159,712 to #150,205.
What does the Census say about the background of Sulzmann?
Among Census respondents with the surname Sulzmann, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.4%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (1.8%) and Two or More Races (1.8%). 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 Sulzmann in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.4% (104 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Sulzmann appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (95.4%), American Indian/Alaska Native (1.8%), Two or More Races (1.8%). 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 Sulzmann (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 Sulzmann mean?
A locational surname originating from a place name derived from the German words "sulz" (brine) and "mann" (man). 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 Sulzmann (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 Sulzmann?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.