2000
#6,578
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,751
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.76
Rare Last name
Sussman
A Jewish occupational surname referring to a shoemaker or cobbler, derived from the Yiddish term "zysman" or "zismann."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,687 Americans carry the last name Sussman. That puts it at #7,791 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.37 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 73,129 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Sussman 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
4.7K
1 in 73,129
Census rank
#7,791
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,087 bearers of the surname Sussman in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.37 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7791st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Sussman, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.0%) and Two or More Races (2.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Sussman
The surname Sussman is believed to have originated in the German-speaking regions of Europe, particularly in the areas that are now part of Germany and Switzerland. The name is thought to be derived from the Old German word "sussmann," which translates to "sweet man" or "kind man."
The earliest recorded instances of the surname Sussman can be traced back to the 13th century, with references found in various medieval records and documents. One notable mention is in the Heidelberg Manuscript, a collection of legal documents from the city of Heidelberg, where a certain "Heinrich Sussman" is listed as a witness in a land dispute in the year 1276.
In the 14th century, the name Sussman began to appear in various town and village records across the German states. For example, in the records of the town of Esslingen, near Stuttgart, a "Hans Sussman" is mentioned as a landowner in 1348. Similarly, the name is found in the records of the city of Augsburg, where a "Konrad Sussman" is listed as a merchant in 1372.
One of the earliest known bearers of the Sussman surname was Johannes Sussman, a scholar and theologian who lived in the late 15th century. Born in the town of Nuremberg in 1452, Sussman studied at the University of Heidelberg and later became a professor of theology at the University of Ingolstadt. He is remembered for his contributions to the field of biblical exegesis and his writings on the Reformation.
Another notable figure with the Sussman surname was Johann Sussman, a German composer and organist who lived in the 16th century. Born in the city of Augsburg in 1537, Sussman is best known for his works for the organ and his contributions to the development of the Protestant church music tradition in Germany.
In the 17th century, the Sussman surname can be found in various records from the German states, including the Duchy of Saxony-Weimar and the Palatinate region. One prominent individual from this period was Johann Christoph Sussman, a German artist and engraver who was born in Nuremberg in 1622. His works, which included portraits and religious engravings, were highly regarded during his lifetime.
As the Sussman surname spread across Europe, it also found its way to other regions, including the Low Countries and parts of Eastern Europe. In the 18th century, there are records of individuals with the Sussman surname living in areas such as the Netherlands and Poland.
Throughout its history, the Sussman surname has been associated with various occupations and professions, including scholars, artists, merchants, and landowners. While the name may have initially been derived from a descriptive term for a kind or sweet-natured person, it has evolved to become a distinct surname with a rich and diverse heritage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Sussman
Among Census respondents with the surname Sussman, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.0%) and Two or More Races (2.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Sussman 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 Sussman surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.8% · 3,794
- Hispanic or Latino3.0% · 121
- Two or more races2.4% · 98
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.3% · 53
- Black or African American0.5% · 19
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.0% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Sussman
Sussman 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
#7,305
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,565
-186 bearers (-3.9%)
Per 100,000 1.55
Rank movement Down 727 places
2020
#7,791
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,087
-478 bearers (-10.5%)
Per 100,000 1.37
Rank movement Down 486 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,578 | 4,751 | 1.76 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,305 | 4,565 | 1.55 | -186 bearers (-3.9%) | Down 727 places |
| 2020 | #7,791 | 4,087 | 1.37 | -478 bearers (-10.5%) | Down 486 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 Sussman 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 | #7,305 | #7,791 | -6.7% |
| Count | 4,565 | 4,087 | -10.5% |
| Per 100K | 1.55 | 1.37 | -11.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Sussman bearers went from 4,565 to 4,087 (-10.5% change). The surname moved down 486 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,305 to #7,791.
FAQ
Sussman surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Sussman?
Name Census estimates that about 4,687 living Americans carry the surname Sussman. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 73,129 residents.
How common is Sussman?
Sussman ranks #7,791 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.37 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 4,087 people with the surname Sussman. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,687), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.37 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.37 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Sussman.
Has Sussman become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Sussman went from 4,565 recorded bearers to 4,087. That is a decrease of 478 (-10.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #7,305 to #7,791.
What does the Census say about the background of Sussman?
Among Census respondents with the surname Sussman, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.0%) and Two or More Races (2.4%). 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 Sussman in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.8% (3,794 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Sussman appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.8%), Hispanic (3.0%), Two or More Races (2.4%). 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 Sussman (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 Sussman mean?
A Jewish occupational surname referring to a shoemaker or cobbler, derived from the Yiddish term "zysman" or "zismann." 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 Sussman (1.37 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 Sussman?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.