The German surname ‘Neumann’ (and its translated form ‘Newman’) means ‘new man’, but it isn’t obvious to me why anyone would have that as a surname. What would a ‘new man’ be? What context would this be from?
A wild guess: religious conversion (becoming a new man.)
Or perhaps in the context of “new guy who just moved into town”?
According to the Ancestry site, it means a newcomer - link.
It’s one of those things that’s obvious, after you know the answer!
(Edited to add - it seems it’s also obvious if your name is “Ducktail.”)
Back in the good old days of the Roman Republic a New Man (Homo Novus) was somebody who was the first in his family who made it into a position of power (mostly the Senate).
(Just wanted to add it, seeing as Postariti already gave the answer 
)
Ah, yes. Obvious.
…thus prompting everyone to greet him, “Hello, New Man.”
It’s German for hideously expensive microphone.
There is a German hymnwriter/composer variously named “Ioannes Neander” and “Johann Neumann” – dating from the days when adopting a Greek or Latin translation of your German name was the in thing.
It’s Jewish for “donatesall post-tax profits to charity”
And Neanderthals are called that because the first bones were found in a cave in the Neanderthal (modern spelling Neandertal), or Neander valley, in Germany. The valley, in turn, was named after Joachim Neander, a hymnwriter and theologian, whose birth name was indeed Neumann.
It’s Amurrican Idiot for “What? Me Worry?”
You know, I never made that connection. So they discovered a new man, if you will, in “new man’s valley”. Cool!
Excellent! 