Nussbaum
A German surname meaning “nut tree” or “walnut tree,” originally a name taken from a tree or place name.
The #7,684 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 71,452 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Nussbaum comes from German Nussbaum, literally “nut tree” or “walnut tree.” The first element is German Nuss, from older Germanic words for “nut,” and the second is Baum, “tree.” It began as a surname from a tree name, and in some cases may also point to a house, farm, or place marked by a nut tree.
History
German surname writers in the 19th and early 20th centuries regularly treated Nussbaum as a tree-based surname. It appears in German-speaking areas and later spread with migration, especially to Jewish and non-Jewish families in Central Europe and beyond. The name is well established in North America through later immigration.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
In older German spelling, the surname was often written with the sharp s as Nußbaum.
From the historical record
“bauer, q.v. NUSSBAUM (Ger.) Nut-Tree; Walnut- Tree [O.H.Ger. nuz, nut -I- bourn, tree] ■ OHLSEN 1 (Scand.) Ole's i.e. Olaf's Son OLSEN J [see under OlifT in Diet. : Dan.- Norw. son, son] OPPENHEIM (Ger.) Bel. to Oppenheira (nr. the Rhine) = Oppo's Home [O.H.Ger. heim, home, residence : the O.Ger. pers. name Oppo…”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)