Show ContentsBierman History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The German surname Bierman is generally thought to be derived from the word "bier" and "mann, " which translates to "beer-man." Thus the original bearer of the name was likely a tavern owner, a brewer, or someone whose occupation involved beer.

Alternatively, the name could have been a nickname for someone who had "bear-like" qualities and in "bear man."

Early Origins of the Bierman family

The surname Bierman was first found in the region of the Rhineland-Palatinate, where the ancestors of bearers of the Bierman surname were an integral part of the local communities, and contributed to the development of the Feudal System that became the backbone of early European society. Records of this surname in Germany date back as far as the thirteenth century. In the year 1290, there were two men bearing this name: Rudolf, and Wernher genannt (called) die Biermenlin in the town of Esslingen. There is also a record of a Werner der Bierman, whose name appeared in a document in Wurttemburg in 1349.

Early History of the Bierman family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bierman research. Another 25 words (2 lines of text) covering the years 1349, 1772 and 1807 are included under the topic Early Bierman History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bierman Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Bier, Bierman, Biermann, Behrman, Behrmann and others.

Early Notables of the Bierman family

Another 37 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Bierman Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bierman Ranking

In the United States, the name Bierman is the 5,679th most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. [1]


United States Bierman migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Bierman Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Johannes Bierman, who arrived in New York, NY in 1710 [2]
  • Anna Sophia Bierman, moved to America in 1787
  • Anna Sopba Bierman, who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1787 [2]
Bierman Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Henry Bierman, who arrived in Maryland in 1838 [2]
  • William Bierman, who landed in Arkansas in 1849 [2]
  • Charles Bierman, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1853 [2]
  • A Bierman, who landed in Arkansas in 1890 [2]
  • Anton Bierman, who landed in Arkansas in 1892 [2]

Contemporary Notables of the name Bierman (post 1700) +

  • Samuel Nathan Bierman (1893-1973), American playwright and author
  • Frederick Elliott Bierman (1884-1968), American three-term Democratic U.S. Representative
  • Bernie Bierman (1894-1977), American college football coach elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 1955
  • Susan Bierman, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from California, 1996 [3]
  • Louis Bierman, American politician, Member of Illinois Socialist State Central Committee, 1919 [3]
  • Everett E. Bierman (b. 1924), American politician, U.S. Ambassador to Papua New Guinea, 1986-89; Solomon Islands, 1986-89; Vanuatu, 1987-89 [3]
  • Ludwig Franz Benedict Bierman (1907-1986), German astronomer who won the Bruce Medal in 1967 and the Gold Medal of the Royal Astronomical Society in 1974
  • Wolf Bierman (b. 1936), German folk singer, and beat era poet
  • Ronnie Greetje Bierman (1938-1984), Dutch film and television actress


  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  2. Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
  3. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 28) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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