Surname Neumann - Meaning and Origin

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F. Neumann

Neumann: What does the surname Neumann mean?

Neumann is a German surname that originates from the Middle High German term "niuwe," meaning "new," and "man," meaning "man." Therefore, Neumann can be interpreted to mean "new man," "the new one," or "newcomer." The name may have been initially given to newcomers in a particular place, used to distinguish recent arrivals from long-term inhabitants. It is quite common in Germany and also frequent among Ashkenazi Jews, likely adopted when Jewish families were mandated to take permanent surnames in the early 19th century. Notable people with this last name include famed mathematician John von Neumann and former German President Richard von Weizsäcker, born Richard Karl Freiherr von Neumann.

Neumann: Where does the name Neumann come from?

The last name Neumann is relatively common today, found in many countries around the world. In Germany, it's historically associated with the Saxon nobility, and is still fairly widely distributed throughout the country. Across the German border in Austria, where it's spelled Neumann, the name is likewise very common.

In the United States, Neumann is most highly concentrated in New York, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey; the ancestral home of many Americans of German descent. The name is also found in scattered locations across Canada, primarily in Ontario, Quebec, and British Columbia.

In Australia, Neumann has been found in every state and territory, though there are concentrations in South Australia, Queensland, and New South Wales. In New Zealand, the name is found in the North Island, but less commonly in the South Island.

There is also a large population of Neumanns in the Dominican Republic. The name is particularly common in the province of Santiago, where a settlement of German-speaking Mennonites has been in existence for over 100 years.

Overall, the last name Neumann appears to be well-distributed throughout many countries in the world, with concentrations in the United States, Germany, Austria, Australia, New Zealand, and the Dominican Republic.

Variations of the surname Neumann

The Neumann surname is of Germanic origin, coming from the Middle-High German name ‘Nüenman’, meaning ‘New Man’. This difficult to translate name likely originated from someone beginning a new life after leaving their former home.

Variants, spellings and surnames for Neumann include:

- Newman: This spelling is the most common spelling in the English language and is pronounced in the same way as Neumann.

- Neuman: This is a spelling used mainly in German-speaking countries which has become especially popular amongst Ashkenazi Jews.

- Neumman: This is an alternate spelling of Neumann used in the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

- Neumen: This is a spelling used in Romania and the Ukraine.

- Neumannová/'Neumannova': This Czech-language spelling identifies Neumann as a feminine surname.

- Neumannov: This Czech-language spelling is the masculine form of the name.

- Neumannovski: This is a combination of Neumann and the Slavic suffix ‘–ski’ used in family names to designate nobility.

- Naiman: This was the spelling of Neumann before the Nazi period, mainly used by Jews living in Europe.

- Neumannovich: This is a combination of Neumann and the Ukrainian suffix ‘–vich’, which is used to designate nobility.

- Freudman/Froyman/Furman: These alternate spellings are used by people descended from Neumann who have moved to Israel.

In addition to these variant spellings of the name Neumann, there are quite a few surnames with slightly different meanings that carry the same origin. These include: Neuman, Neumann, Newmaner, Newmer, Nieman, Niemann, Niemon, Neyman, Neaman, Newmann, Newmark and Nuenen.

Famous people with the name Neumann

• John von Neumann (1903-1957): Hungarian-American mathematician, physicist, computer scientist and polymath. He made major contributions to a variety of fields, including mathematics, quantum mechanics, economics and game theory.
• Eduard Neumann (1832-1908): German orientalist and professor of Semitic languages. He was a pioneer in the study of Semitic languages, especially Aramaic and Hebrew.
• Kurt Neumann (1903-1958): German-American film director, actor and screenwriter. He is best known for directing sci-fi films such as The Flying Saucer (1950).
• Clara Neumann (1879-1947): German women's rights activist and politician. She was one of the first women to enter the Berlin city council after the German Revolution of 1918–1919.
• Carl Neumann (1832-1925): German mathematician and physicist. He made notable contributions to the field of vector analysis as well as research in the fields of elasticity theory and the theory of partial differential equations.
• Gustav Neumann (1850-1919): German pianist and composer. He composed works for the piano, orchestra, chamber ensemble and songs. He was also one of the founding members of the Hugo Wolf Society.
• Oskar Neumann (1872-1942): German bookseller, publisher and philantropist. He founded the popular Berlin department store KaDeWe and was also a benefactor of many charitable causes.
• Gertrude Neumann (1907-2003): American jeweler and noted community volunteer. She was an active member of her community and was widely known for her work with charities such as the Jewish Federation and the American Red Cross.
• Billy Neumann (b. 1973): American actor and producer. He appeared in films such as The Big Lebowski (1998) and Ocean's Eleven (2001).

Other surnames

NeumaierNeumairNeumaisterNeumanNeumayerNeumayr