Glassman
An occupational surname for someone connected with making or working with glass.
The #8,928 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 84,219 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Glassman is a straightforward occupational surname built from Middle English 'glass' plus 'man,' meaning a person associated with glass-working, glass manufacture, or trade in glass. The name is closely related to other glass-related surnames such as Glazier and Glasswright. In older surname collections, it is treated as a work-based name rather than a nickname or place-name.
History
The name appears in English surname lists compiled by 19th-century scholars, who grouped it with other occupational names from the glass trade. It is not among the most common English surnames, but it follows a familiar pattern of occupational naming that could be adopted independently in several places. In modern use it is also found among Jewish and non-Jewish families, sometimes reflecting anglicized naming patterns.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Bardsley grouped Glassman with Glasswright and Glazier as surnames tied to the manufacture of glass.
From the historical record
“surnames from the manufacture of glass are Glasswright (q.v.) and Glassman. The i in Glazier is equivalent to the^ in Bowyer and Sawyer, and the h in Glaisher is the result of careless treatment of the extra syllable.”
— A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames (alternate scan)