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

Wassermann, 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 Wassermann surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Wassermann in America

Wassermann is the 69996th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Wassermann surname appeared 280 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 Wassermann.

We can also compare 2010 data for Wassermann 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 Wassermann

The surname Wassermann originates from Germany, and its earliest recorded instances can be traced back to the 16th century. The name is derived from the German words "Wasser," meaning water, and "Mann," meaning man, likely referring to an individual who lived near a body of water or whose occupation was related to water.

One of the earliest known references to the Wassermann name can be found in the town records of Nuremberg, Bavaria, dated 1567, where a certain Hans Wassermann is mentioned as a resident. This suggests that the name was already established in the region by the mid-16th century.

In the 17th century, the Wassermann name appeared in various German-speaking regions, including Saxony, Silesia, and the Rhineland. One notable bearer of the name during this period was Johann Wassermann (1592-1667), a German theologian and author from Nuremberg who wrote several works on Protestant theology.

The 18th century saw the Wassermann name spread further across German-speaking territories. In 1732, a Johann Wassermann was recorded as a resident of Strasbourg, Alsace, which was then part of the Holy Roman Empire. Another individual bearing the name, Friedrich Wassermann (1766-1838), was a German composer and organist from Dresden.

As the 19th century dawned, the Wassermann name continued to be found in various parts of Germany and neighboring regions. August Wassermann (1866-1925), a renowned German bacteriologist from Bamberg, is perhaps one of the most famous individuals with this surname. He is credited with developing the Wassermann test, a pioneering diagnostic tool for syphilis.

Another notable bearer of the Wassermann name was Jakob Wassermann (1873-1934), a German writer and novelist from Furth. His works, such as "The World's Illusion" and "The Maurizius Case," explored themes of Jewish identity and social injustice in early 20th century Europe.

Throughout its history, the Wassermann name has been associated with various occupations and professions, from theologians and composers to scientists and authors, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and experiences of those who have carried this surname over the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Wassermann

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

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

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

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