How common is the surname Herman?

41,750 people in the United States had the surname Herman in the 2010 Census, about 1 in every 7,395 Americans. It ranked 826th of 162,253 surnames.

Who is the most famous person named Herman?

Woody Herman, American jazz musician and bandleader (1913–1987), followed by Jerry Herman.

Where is the surname Herman most common?

Wikidata records people named Herman in the United States and Belarus.

How do you pronounce Herman?

Herman is /ˈhɝmən/, 2 syllables.

Is the surname Herman getting more or less common?

Less common. 42,091 people carried it in the 2000 Census and 41,750 in 2010, down 0.8%.

Is Herman also a first name?

Yes. Herman is used as a first name as well as a surname; its first-name page has the meaning and how many babies were given it.

The surname Herman

An English patronymic surname, carried by 41,750 people in the United States.

Pronounced /ˈhɝmən/ 2 syllables Soundex H655 Also a first name

Every surname held by 100 or more people in the 2010 US Census, most common on the left (162,253 in all). Herman is more common than 99.5% of them.

Origin

English origin

From Old English here (“army”) + man (“man”) It was revived in the 19th century, partly due to American immigrants from continental Europe where the name has been more popular. Compare the German equivalent Hermann.

Herman is a patronymic surname: formed from a father’s (or ancestor’s) given name.

One of 1,446 English surnames on this site.

Origin from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).

How common it is

2010 US Census

There were 41,750 people named Herman in the United States in 2010, about 1 in every 7,395 Americans. That is down 0.8% since 2000, when the Census counted 42,091.

#826

rank among US surnames

41,750

people in 2010

per 100,000 Americans

-0.8%

change since 2000 (was #746)

Rank	Surname	People	1 in
#817	Hardin	42,469	7,270
#818	Bradshaw	42,465	7,271
#819	McIntosh	42,379	7,285
#820	Howe	42,265	7,305
#821	Livingston	42,103	7,333
#822	Frost	42,015	7,348
#823	Glass	41,802	7,386

Who is named Herman

Race and Hispanic origin as people reported it in the 2010 Census

90% of people named Herman identified as white (not Hispanic), 3.4% as Black (not Hispanic) and 2.9% as Hispanic or Latino (any race).

White (not Hispanic) 90%
Black (not Hispanic) 3.4%
Hispanic or Latino (any race) 2.9%
Two or more races 1.3%
American Indian and Alaska Native 1.0%
Asian and Pacific Islander 0.9%

Compare: most common surnames among white Americans.

Famous Hermans

16 notable people on Wikidata, most written-about first

Woody Herman
American jazz musician and bandleader (1913–1987)
Jerry Herman
American composer and lyricist (1931-2019)
Paul Herman
American actor (1946–2022)
Alexis Herman
American politician and businesswoman (1947–2025)
Elvira Herman
Belarusian female hurdler, born 1997
Robert Herman
American astronomer (1914–1997)
Judith Herman
American psychiatrist, born 1942
Edward S. Herman
American journalist (1925-2017)
Al Herman
American racing driver, 1927–1960
Billy Herman
American baseball player and coach (1909–1992)
Pete Herman
American boxer (1896–1973)
Keri Herman
American freestyle skier, born 1986

Notable Hermans come mostly from the United States (14) and Belarus (2).

Spellings and sound-alikes

Useful when a record has your ancestor under another spelling

Surnames that sound like Herman

Herman has the Soundex code H655, the code US census indexes have used since the 1930s. Every surname with code H655.

Other English surnames

All 1,446 English surnames

Questions

Where does the surname Herman come from?: From Old English here (“army”) + man (“man”) It was revived in the 19th century, partly due to American immigrants from continental Europe where the name has been more popular. Compare the German equivalent Hermann.
How common is the surname Herman?: 41,750 people in the United States had the surname Herman in the 2010 Census, about 1 in every 7,395 Americans. It ranked 826th of 162,253 surnames.
What ethnicity is the surname Herman?: In the 2010 Census, 90% of people named Herman identified as white (not Hispanic), and 3.4% as Black (not Hispanic).
Who is the most famous person named Herman?: Woody Herman, American jazz musician and bandleader (1913–1987), followed by Jerry Herman.
Where is the surname Herman most common?: Wikidata records people named Herman in the United States and Belarus.
How do you pronounce Herman?: Herman is /ˈhɝmən/, 2 syllables.
What type of surname is Herman?: Herman is a patronymic surname, formed from a father’s (or ancestor’s) given name.
Is the surname Herman getting more or less common?: Less common. 42,091 people carried it in the 2000 Census and 41,750 in 2010, down 0.8%.
Is Herman also a first name?: Yes. Herman is used as a first name as well as a surname; its first-name page has the meaning and how many babies were given it.