Find out how popular the last name Szeman is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Szeman.

Szeman, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Szeman surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Szeman in America

Szeman is the 141140th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Szeman surname appeared 118 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Szeman.

We can also compare 2010 data for Szeman to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Szeman

The surname SZEMAN is of Polish origin, with records tracing its earliest usage to the late 16th century in the region of Galicia, which was then part of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. The name is believed to be derived from the Polish word "szemat," meaning "boisterous" or "unruly," suggesting that it may have originally been a descriptive nickname given to an ancestor with a rowdy or unrestrained personality.

The earliest known reference to the SZEMAN surname can be found in a 1597 parish record from the town of Stryj, located in present-day western Ukraine. This document mentions a certain Jan SZEMAN, who was a landowner and member of the local nobility. In the following century, the name also appears in historical records from the nearby town of Drohobych, where several SZEMAN families were prominent members of the burgher class.

During the 17th and 18th centuries, the SZEMAN name spread across various regions of Poland and the neighboring territories of the former Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. Notable bearers of this surname include Marcin SZEMAN (1675-1743), a renowned architect and builder who was responsible for the construction of several churches and manor houses in the Lublin region of eastern Poland.

Another historical figure of note is Katarzyna SZEMAN (1802-1887), a philanthropist and social reformer from the city of Lviv (then part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire). She established several schools and orphanages for underprivileged children and was widely respected for her charitable work.

In the late 19th century, as many Polish families emigrated to other parts of Europe and the Americas, the SZEMAN surname began to appear in various immigrant communities. One such individual was Józef SZEMAN (1856-1924), a Polish-American businessman who founded a successful brewery in Chicago, Illinois.

Another notable bearer of this name was Stefan SZEMAN (1901-1985), a Polish-Canadian writer and journalist who published several novels and short stories depicting the experiences of Polish immigrants in Canada. His works, written in both Polish and English, are considered important contributions to the literary heritage of the Polish diaspora in North America.

While the SZEMAN surname is relatively uncommon on a global scale, it has a rich historical tradition rooted in the cultural and linguistic heritage of Poland and the surrounding regions. The name's etymology and the lives of its notable bearers provide a fascinating glimpse into the diverse experiences of families who have carried this surname throughout the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Szeman

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Szeman.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Szeman was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Szeman has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Szeman was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Szeman, please contact us.

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