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

Wasserman, 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 Wasserman surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Wasserman in America

Wasserman is the 5297th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Wasserman surname appeared 6,577 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 Wasserman.

We can also compare 2010 data for Wasserman 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 Wasserman

The surname Wasserman is of German origin, with its roots traceable back to the Middle Ages. It is an occupational name derived from the German words "Wasser" meaning water and "Mann" meaning man, referring to someone who worked with water, such as a ferryman, fisherman, or miller.

The earliest recorded instances of this surname can be found in various German records from the 13th and 14th centuries. One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Hans Wasserman, a ferryman who lived in the town of Nuremberg in the late 13th century.

As the surname spread across the German-speaking regions of Europe, it underwent various spelling variations, such as Wassermann, Wassermänner, and Wassermeyer. These variations often reflected regional dialects and the preferences of local scribes.

The Wasserman name appears in several historical documents, including the Nibelungenlied, a famous German epic poem from the 13th century. The poem mentions a character named Wasserman, though it is unclear whether this was a reference to a specific individual or a general occupational title.

Throughout history, the Wasserman surname has been associated with several notable individuals. One of the most prominent was Johann Wasserman (1507-1564), a German Protestant theologian and reformer who played a significant role in the Reformation movement.

Another notable bearer of the name was Friedrich Wasserman (1811-1887), a German-born American architect who designed several iconic buildings in New York City, including the Astor Library and the Old New York Produce Exchange.

In the 20th century, Jakob Wasserman (1873-1934) was a German novelist and playwright, known for his works exploring themes of Jewish identity and the impact of World War I on German society.

August von Wasserman (1866-1925), a German bacteriologist, is renowned for developing the Wasserman test, a diagnostic tool for detecting syphilis, which was a significant advancement in the field of medicine.

Finally, Lew Wasserman (1913-2002), an American entertainment executive, played a pivotal role in shaping the modern entertainment industry as the long-time chairman of MCA Inc., one of the largest talent agencies and production companies of its time.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Wasserman

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

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

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

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