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

Wissman, 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 Wissman surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Wissman in America

Wissman is the 24629th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Wissman surname appeared 1,014 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 Wissman.

We can also compare 2010 data for Wissman 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 Wissman

The surname Wissman has roots in Germanic regions, emerging prominently during the medieval period. Originating primarily from Germany, the name appears to have been derived from a combination of old German words, with "wissen" meaning "to know" and "man" meaning "man." This could indicate that the surname referred to someone known for their wisdom or knowledge, possibly a scholar or someone in a position of advisory.

Historical records and manuscripts from medieval Germany reveal early occurrences of the name in various forms. One of the earliest mentions dates back to a 13th-century document from the region of Bavaria, with the name appearing as Wisman. Throughout medieval Germany, the spelling varied slightly based on the dialects and regional linguistic influences, including variations like Wismann and Weißmann.

One notable individual with the surname Wissman was Georg Wissman, a prominent 15th-century scholar born in 1420 and associated with the University of Heidelberg. His contributions to philosophy and early humanism were well-documented in university records of the time. Another notable figure was Hans Wissman, a landowner recorded in a 1548 tax register in the region of Saxony.

By the 17th century, the name Wissman had spread to neighboring regions. Johann Wissman, born in 1652 in Hesse, was a key figure during the Thirty Years' War, serving as an officer in the Protestant army. His military service and subsequent role in the peace negotiations added to the historical significance of the surname.

In the 19th century, Hermann Wissman, born in 1853 in Thuringia, became a well-known explorer and colonial administrator. His expeditions in Africa, particularly in the Congo and East Africa, were widely recognized and left a lasting impact on both the regions he explored and his homeland. Another important figure was Elisabeth Wissman, born in 1887, a pioneering female educator in Berlin whose contributions to women's education were influential in shaping early 20th-century academic policies.

The surname Wissman has not only a historical lineage but also a rich cultural heritage, arising from a melding of regional traditions and linguistic evolution. The name has traversed centuries, carrying with it the legacy of knowledge, exploration, and leadership.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Wissman

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

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

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

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