Bierman
An occupational surname meaning “beer man” or “beer seller/brewer,” formed from the word beer plus man.
The #6,673 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 60,969 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Bierman is a compound surname built from beer and man. In Dutch and related Low German usage, it would originally have referred to someone connected with beer by trade, such as a brewer, beer seller, or tavern keeper. The name is a straightforward occupational formation, similar to other surnames ending in -man that point to a profession or business.
History
19th-century surname writers explicitly grouped Bierman with names derived from trades and commerce. The form appears in Dutch-speaking naming traditions, and related surnames such as Biermans also occur. In modern use it is found in the Netherlands and in countries shaped by Dutch emigration, including the United States.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The same Dutch surname tradition also produced other trade-based names like Wijnman, Spekman, and Zoutman.
From the historical record
“laar draagt den byzonderen naam van biersteker, en deze naam is als Biersteker, Bierstekers en (half saksisch, half hoog- duitsch) Beer steeher tot geslachtsnaam geworden. Bierman behoort hier ook by. § 113. Aan het bedrijf der handwerkslieden die voor onze kleeding zorgen, zijn de volgende namen ontleend…”
— De Nederlandsche geslachtsnamen in oorsprong, geschiedenis en beteekenis