Weissman
A German surname meaning “white man” or “fair-haired man,” built from the word for white plus “man.”
The #7,215 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 66,727 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Weissman comes from German Weiss, meaning “white” or “fair,” plus Mann, meaning “man.” In older surname use, that usually pointed to a person with light hair, a pale complexion, or some other “fair” identifying feature. In Jewish family naming, the same German elements could also be adopted through Yiddish and German-language naming practice.
History
The name appears in German-speaking areas and also among Ashkenazi Jewish families, where German-looking surnames were often adopted or assigned in the late 18th and 19th centuries. English-language sources frequently treat it as the same formation as Weiss and related names like Weissmann or Weisman. In the United States it is found in both German and Jewish immigrant lines.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The spelling with double s or double n often reflects German orthography, but many immigrant families simplified it after arrival in English-speaking countries.
From the historical record
“O.H.Ger. wlz, oMer hwr'z] WEISSMAN(N (Ger.) White or Fair Man [see Weiss, and -|- Ger. mann, O.H.Ger. 'man{n] WERNER .\(Ger.) True or Trusty Army WERNHER; [see Warner' in Diet.]”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)