2000
#5,817
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,442
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.02
Rare Last name
Edelman
A Jewish surname derived from the Yiddish word "edel," meaning "noble" or "refined."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,980 Americans carry the last name Edelman. That puts it at #6,274 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.74 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 57,317 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Edelman 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
6.0K
1 in 57,317
Census rank
#6,274
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
5.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 5,215 bearers of the surname Edelman in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.74 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6274th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Edelman, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.9%) and Two or More Races (2.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Edelman
The surname Edelman originates from Germany, tracing its roots back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the German word "edel," meaning "noble" or "distinguished," combined with the suffix "-mann," which translates to "man." This suggests that the name was likely bestowed upon individuals of notable status or aristocratic lineage.
During the 13th century, the Edelman name appeared in various records and manuscripts throughout the German regions. One notable reference is found in the Codex Diplomaticus, a collection of historical documents from the Duchy of Saxe-Lauenburg, which mentions an Edelman family residing in the town of Lübeck.
The earliest recorded instance of the Edelman name can be traced back to 1278, when a certain Henricus Edelman was documented as a landowner in the village of Mönchengladbach, located in the Rhineland region of present-day North Rhine-Westphalia.
In the 16th century, a prominent figure bearing the Edelman name was Johann Edelman (1535-1617), a renowned theologian and reformer who played a significant role in the Protestant Reformation. He served as a pastor in Strasbourg and was known for his efforts in promoting religious education.
Another notable individual was Wilhelm Edelman (1675-1745), a German architect and military engineer who contributed to the fortification of several cities, including Mainz and Mannheim, during the reign of the Prince-Elector of Bavaria.
In the realm of literature, Johann Friedrich Edelman (1749-1794) gained recognition as a German writer and poet. His works, which included poetry collections and plays, were influenced by the Sturm und Drang literary movement.
The Edelman name can also be found in historical records from other regions, such as the Netherlands and Switzerland, where variations like "Edelmann" and "Edelmans" were commonly used.
Throughout history, the Edelman surname has been associated with individuals from various professions and backgrounds, ranging from nobility and clergy to artists and scholars, reflecting the diverse origins and meanings behind this ancestral name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Edelman
Among Census respondents with the surname Edelman, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.9%) and Two or More Races (2.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Edelman 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 Edelman surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.3% · 4,811
- Hispanic or Latino3.9% · 205
- Two or more races2.2% · 115
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 44
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 23
- Black or African American0.3% · 17
Timeline
Historical Census data for Edelman
Edelman appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#6,295
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,428
-14 bearers (-0.3%)
Per 100,000 1.84
Rank movement Down 478 places
2020
#6,274
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,215
-213 bearers (-3.9%)
Per 100,000 1.74
Rank movement Up 21 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #5,817 | 5,442 | 2.02 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,295 | 5,428 | 1.84 | -14 bearers (-0.3%) | Down 478 places |
| 2020 | #6,274 | 5,215 | 1.74 | -213 bearers (-3.9%) | Up 21 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 Edelman 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 | #6,295 | #6,274 | 0.3% |
| Count | 5,428 | 5,215 | -3.9% |
| Per 100K | 1.84 | 1.74 | -5.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Edelman bearers went from 5,428 to 5,215 (-3.9% change). The surname moved up 21 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,295 to #6,274.
FAQ
Edelman surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Edelman?
Name Census estimates that about 5,980 living Americans carry the surname Edelman. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 57,317 residents.
How common is Edelman?
Edelman ranks #6,274 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.74 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 5,215 people with the surname Edelman. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,980), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.74 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.74 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Edelman.
Has Edelman become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Edelman went from 5,428 recorded bearers to 5,215. That is a decrease of 213 (-3.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #6,295 to #6,274.
What does the Census say about the background of Edelman?
Among Census respondents with the surname Edelman, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.9%) and Two or More Races (2.2%). 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 Edelman in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.3% (4,811 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Edelman appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.3%), Hispanic (3.9%), Two or More Races (2.2%). 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 Edelman (2000, 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 Edelman mean?
A Jewish surname derived from the Yiddish word "edel," meaning "noble" or "refined." 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 Edelman (1.74 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 have the surname Edelman?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.