Zimerman last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Zimerman

A surname derived from the German word "Zimmermann," meaning carpenter or woodworker.

Zimerman, 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 Zimerman surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Zimerman in America

Zimerman is the 90853rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Zimerman surname appeared 203 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 Zimerman.

We can also compare 2010 data for Zimerman 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.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 90853 89895 1.06%
Count 203 191 6.09%
Proportion per 100k 0.07 0.07 0.00%

The history of the last name Zimerman

The surname Zimerman originates from Eastern Europe, more specifically Poland and surrounding regions, during the Middle Ages. It is an occupational surname derived from the German words "Zimmer" meaning "room" or "chamber" and "Mann" meaning "man". This reflects the profession of a carpenter or a builder, someone who constructs rooms or buildings. The surname has variations in spelling including Zimmermann, Zimmerman, Zimerman, and often, the variations reflect the phonetic interpretations of different languages and dialects in the regions where the surname spread.

One of the earliest references to the surname Zimmermann can be found in German records from the 13th century. The medieval records of the Holy Roman Empire feature several mentions of individuals bearing the name. The occupational origins of the name suggest its bearers were likely involved in guilds or were considered skilled craftsmen in their communities. An example of an early documented individual is Hans Zimmermann, a carpenter from Zurich, mentioned in city records from 1300.

Records from Jewish communities in Poland during the 15th and 16th centuries also show the use of the surname Zimerman. These records often connect the surname to trades and craftsmanship, underscoring the roots of the name's meaning. The surname Zimerman was commonly shortened or altered when Jewish families migrated westward to other parts of Europe, particularly to Germany and Austria.

One notable individual in history with the surname Zimmermann was Johann Georg Zimmermann (1728-1795), a Swiss physician, and philosopher, known for his writings in the field of medicine and his reflections on solitude. His works established him as a prominent intellectual figure in 18th-century Europe. Another historically significant figure was Kurt Zimmermann, born in 1852 in Prussia, who made notable contributions to architectural endeavors in Berlin during the late 19th century.

In the music world, Krystian Zimerman, born in 1956 in Zabrze, Poland, is a renowned classical pianist known globally for his performances and recordings. He has significantly contributed to the interpretation of works by Frederic Chopin, garnering critical acclaim and numerous awards throughout his career. Another influential person with the surname is Arnold Zimmerman, a contemporary American artist born in 1954, whose work in ceramics has been featured in many international exhibitions.

Moving to the realm of literature and linguistics, Carsten Zimerman, a German historian born in 1901, known for his exhaustive research on medieval European history, particularly focusing on the societal structures of Germanic tribes. His research has provided deep insights into the medieval period, and his works continue to be cited in historical studies.

Overall, the surname Zimerman, and its variations, have a storied presence in historical records across various regions and professions, underscoring its rich heritage and the notable contributions of its bearers to diverse fields over the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Zimerman

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

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 Zimerman was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 79.80% 162
Non-Hispanic Black Only 2.46% 5
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.00% 0
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races (S)% (S)
Hispanic Origin 15.76% 32

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 Zimerman has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 79.80% 81.15% -1.68%
Black 2.46% (S)% (S)%
Asian and Pacific Islander (S)% (S)% (S)%
American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.00% 0.00% 0.00%
Two or More Races (S)% (S)% (S)%
Hispanic 15.76% 15.71% 0.32%

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

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

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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!

"Zimerman last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on December 22, 2024. http://namecensus.com/last-names/zimerman-surname-popularity/.

"Zimerman last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/zimerman-surname-popularity/. Accessed 22 December, 2024

Zimerman last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/zimerman-surname-popularity/.

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