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

Vollmer, 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 Vollmer surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Vollmer in America

Vollmer is the 5273rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Vollmer surname appeared 6,614 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Vollmer.

We can also compare 2010 data for Vollmer 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 Vollmer

The surname Vollmer has its origins in Germany, with records dating back to the 16th century. It is derived from the German word "Voller," which means "fuller" or a person who fulled cloth. This occupation-based surname likely referred to someone who worked in the textile industry, specifically in the process of thickening and felting woolen cloth.

The name is believed to have originated in the region of Lower Saxony, where the textile industry flourished during the Middle Ages. The earliest recorded instance of the name appears in a document from 1557, which mentions a Hans Vollmer from the town of Hildesheim.

In the 17th century, the name Vollmer can be found in various church records and tax registers across northern Germany. One notable individual was Johann Vollmer (1595-1675), a Lutheran theologian and author from Quedlinburg, who wrote several works on religious subjects.

As families migrated and settled in different regions, the name underwent slight variations in spelling, such as Vollmar, Vollmers, and Vollmert. These variations were often influenced by local dialects and pronunciation.

The 18th century saw the emergence of several prominent individuals bearing the Vollmer name. One such figure was Georg Christian Vollmer (1719-1784), a German painter and engraver known for his landscapes and architectural drawings.

In the 19th century, the industrialization of Germany led to an increase in the number of individuals with the surname Vollmer. One noteworthy individual from this period was Wilhelm Vollmer (1807-1883), a German jurist and politician who served as the Minister of Justice for the Kingdom of Saxony.

Another significant figure was Gustav Vollmer (1834-1905), a German architect and urban planner who was influential in the development of many cities, including Berlin and Hamburg.

As German immigrants settled in other parts of the world, the name Vollmer spread to various countries. One example is August Vollmer (1876-1955), an American law enforcement officer and academic who is considered the "Father of Modern Law Enforcement" for his pioneering work in professionalizing police forces.

Throughout its history, the surname Vollmer has maintained its connection to the textile industry and has been borne by individuals from various walks of life, including scholars, artists, politicians, and professionals.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Vollmer

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

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 Vollmer 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 Vollmer 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 Vollmer was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!