2000
#4,931
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,549
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.43
Rare Last name
Vollmer
A German occupational surname referring to a wool merchant or fuller.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 7,149 Americans carry the last name Vollmer. That puts it at #5,400 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.09 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 47,944 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Vollmer 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
7.1K
1 in 47,944
Census rank
#5,400
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
6.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 6,234 bearers of the surname Vollmer in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.09 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 5400th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Vollmer, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.8%) and Two or More Races (3.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Vollmer
Among Census respondents with the surname Vollmer, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.8%) and Two or More Races (3.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Vollmer 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 Vollmer surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.7% · 5,718
- Hispanic or Latino3.8% · 237
- Two or more races3.1% · 196
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 52
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 21
- Black or African American0.2% · 10
Timeline
Historical Census data for Vollmer
Vollmer 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
#5,273
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,614
+65 bearers (+1.0%)
Per 100,000 2.24
Rank movement Down 342 places
2020
#5,400
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,234
-380 bearers (-5.7%)
Per 100,000 2.09
Rank movement Down 127 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,931 | 6,549 | 2.43 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #5,273 | 6,614 | 2.24 | +65 bearers (+1.0%) | Down 342 places |
| 2020 | #5,400 | 6,234 | 2.09 | -380 bearers (-5.7%) | Down 127 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 Vollmer 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 | #5,273 | #5,400 | -2.4% |
| Count | 6,614 | 6,234 | -5.7% |
| Per 100K | 2.24 | 2.09 | -6.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Vollmer bearers went from 6,614 to 6,234 (-5.7% change). The surname moved down 127 positions in the national ranking, going from #5,273 to #5,400.
FAQ
Vollmer surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Vollmer?
Name Census estimates that about 7,149 living Americans carry the surname Vollmer. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 47,944 residents.
How common is Vollmer?
Vollmer ranks #5,400 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.09 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 6,234 people with the surname Vollmer. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (7,149), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.09 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.09 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Vollmer.
Has Vollmer become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Vollmer went from 6,614 recorded bearers to 6,234. That is a decrease of 380 (-5.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #5,273 to #5,400.
What does the Census say about the background of Vollmer?
Among Census respondents with the surname Vollmer, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.8%) and Two or More Races (3.1%). 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 Vollmer in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.7% (5,718 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Vollmer appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.7%), Hispanic (3.8%), Two or More Races (3.1%). 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 Vollmer (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 Vollmer mean?
A German occupational surname referring to a wool merchant or fuller. 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 Vollmer (2.09 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 are called Vollmer?
Find out how many people are called Vollmer on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.