Explore the Family Name Semler

The meaning of Semler

German and Jewish (Ashkenazic): occupational name for a baker of white rolls, from an agent derivative of Middle High German semel, German Semmel, Yiddish zeml ‘white bread roll’ (from Middle High German semel(e), simel ‘fine wheat flour’). Such rolls were in contrast to the coarse rye bread that was and is the norm in many households.

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name Semler in the United States?

Based on data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Semler saw a slight decrease in popularity between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it ranked 15,530th in terms of most common surnames in the United States but dropped to the 16,395th spot in 2010, a change of -5.57%. Despite this drop in rank, the actual count of individuals with the Semler surname rose slightly from 1,729 in 2000 to 1,755 in 2010, an increase of 1.5%. However, as a proportion per 100,000 people, the occurrence of the Semler surname fell by 7.81%.

20002010Change
Rank#15,530#16,395-5.57%
Count1,7291,7551.5%
Proportion per 100k0.640.59-7.81%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Semler

In terms of ethnic identity, the Decennial U.S. Census reveals that individuals with the surname Semler are primarily of White ethnicity, accounting for 95.44% of all Semlers in 2010, a slight decrease from 96.65% in 2000. The second most common ethnic identity is Hispanic, which saw a significant increase of 82.69% over the decade, going from 1.56% in 2000 to 2.85% in 2010. The presence of multiple races within the Semler population also increased during this period, rising from 1.04% to 1.14%. Additionally, there was a small emergence of Asian/Pacific Islander Semlers in 2010, while the percentage of Black Semlers decreased to zero. No American Indian or Alaskan Native individuals held the Semler surname in either 2000 or 2010.

20002010Change
White96.65%95.44%-1.25%
Hispanic1.56%2.85%82.69%
Two or More Races1.04%1.14%9.62%
Asian/Pacific Islander0%0.34%0%
Black0.4%0%0%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0%0%0%