2010
#145,220
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Zimpleman
A surname derived from the German words "zimpfer" meaning dainty and "man" meaning person, originally referring to someone considered fussy or prim.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 130 Americans carry the last name Zimpleman. That puts it at #147,221 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,636,572 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Zimpleman 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
130
1 in 2,636,572
Census rank
#147,221
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
113
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 113 bearers of the surname Zimpleman in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147221st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Zimpleman, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.0%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Zimpleman
The surname Zimpleman finds its roots in the regions of Central Europe, predominantly in Germany. Etymologically, the name appears to be a compound of two elements: Zimpl, a variation of the name Sippel, which can refer to a "seed" or "descendant," and man, meaning "man." The compounded form likely signifies "descendant man" or "seed man," indicative of lineage or familial continuation. It could also derive from topographical or vocational origins, linking individuals to specific traits or occupations within their communities.
Historically, the name Zimpleman and similar variations can be traced back to the Middle Ages. Early records show its presence in manuscripts and church registries from the 14th and 15th centuries. One of the oldest references appeared in a Bavarian town registry from the year 1372, noting a Hans Zimplemann involved in local governance. This suggests that the surname had some prominence and recognition within its locality.
The name Zimpleman underwent several transformations in spelling through the centuries, including variations like Zimpelman and Zimplerman. In legal documents from the 16th century Saxony region, a Wilhelm Zimplerman appeared as a witness in a property dispute case dated 1567, further solidifying the surname's historical context and regional importance.
Another significant historical bearer of the surname was Johann Zimpelman, a master craftsman known for his contributions to Gothic architecture in the region of Franconia during the early 17th century. His work on the St. Laurentius Church, completed in 1623, stands as a testament to his skills and the surname's association with craftsmanship.
In the realms of academia and literature, the name received distinction through Matthias Zimpleman, a noted scholar of theology and philosophy in the late 18th century. Born in 1765 and dying in 1828, Matthias published several influential treatises that contributed to the intellectual discourse of his time. His writings often reflected the prevalent thoughts of the Enlightenment, melded with deep-rooted cultural traditions.
The surname also appears in military records; Captain Ludwig Zimpleman served in the Prussian army during the Napoleonic Wars. Born in 1789 and having passed away in 1847, Ludwig's leadership in the Battle of Leipzig in 1813 earned him recognition and several military honors, marking the Zimpleman name in the annals of military history.
Lastly, in artistic circles, the name is immortalized through Karl Zimpleman, a painter whose works were critical to the Romantic movement in early 19th-century Germany. Born in 1796 and passing in 1864, Karl's landscapes and rural depictions captured the era's spirit, making his works cherished in various German art galleries.
Overall, the surname Zimpleman boasts a rich tapestry of historical presence across various domains, revealing its significance in European history through several prominent individuals bearing the name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Zimpleman
Among Census respondents with the surname Zimpleman, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.0%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Zimpleman 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 Zimpleman surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.4% · 101
- Hispanic or Latino8.0% · 9
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.8% · 2
- Two or more races0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Zimpleman
Zimpleman appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#147,221
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
-1 bearers (-0.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 2,001 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #145,220 | 114 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #147,221 | 113 | 0.04 | -1 bearers (-0.9%) | Down 2,001 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 Zimpleman 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 | #145,220 | #147,221 | -1.4% |
| Count | 114 | 113 | -0.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -5.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Zimpleman bearers went from 114 to 113 (-0.9% change). The surname moved down 2,001 positions in the national ranking, going from #145,220 to #147,221.
FAQ
Zimpleman surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Zimpleman?
Name Census estimates that about 130 living Americans carry the surname Zimpleman. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,636,572 residents.
How common is Zimpleman?
Zimpleman ranks #147,221 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 113 people with the surname Zimpleman. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (130), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Zimpleman.
Has Zimpleman become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Zimpleman went from 114 recorded bearers to 113. That is a decrease of 1 (-0.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #145,220 to #147,221.
What does the Census say about the background of Zimpleman?
Among Census respondents with the surname Zimpleman, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.0%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.8%). 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 Zimpleman in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.4% (101 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Zimpleman appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.4%), Hispanic (8.0%), American Indian/Alaska Native (1.8%). 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 Zimpleman (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 Zimpleman mean?
A surname derived from the German words "zimpfer" meaning dainty and "man" meaning person, originally referring to someone considered fussy or prim. 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 Zimpleman (0.04 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 Zimpleman?
If you just want to know how many people have the last name Zimpleman, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.