# Where does the surname 'Neumann' come from? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 17, 2009, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-does-the-surname-neumann-come-from/506690 "2009-08-17T03:21:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2009, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-does-the-surname-neumann-come-from/506690/1 "2009-08-17T03:21:04Z")
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? ---
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2009, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-does-the-surname-neumann-come-from/506690/2 "2009-08-17T03:27:02Z")
A wild guess: religious conversion (becoming a new man.) ---
**Author:** ![Ducktail](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/43a26b/32.png) [@Ducktail](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ducktail)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2009, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-does-the-surname-neumann-come-from/506690/3 "2009-08-17T03:58:41Z")
Or perhaps in the context of “new guy who just moved into town”? ---
**Author:** ![Postariti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Postariti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Postariti)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2009, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-does-the-surname-neumann-come-from/506690/4 "2009-08-17T04:07:51Z")
According to the Ancestry site, it means a newcomer - [link](http://www.ancestry.com/facts/Neumann-family-history.ashx). 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.”) ---
**Author:** ![abel29a](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ebca7d/32.png) [@abel29a](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/abel29a)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2009, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-does-the-surname-neumann-come-from/506690/5 "2009-08-17T16:40:12Z")
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 🙂 ) ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2009, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-does-the-surname-neumann-come-from/506690/6 "2009-08-17T18:34:05Z")
Ah, yes. Obvious. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2009, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-does-the-surname-neumann-come-from/506690/7 "2009-08-17T19:51:34Z")
> [@Ducktail](#): > > Or perhaps in the context of “new guy who just moved into town”? …thus prompting everyone to greet him, “Hello, New Man.” ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2009, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-does-the-surname-neumann-come-from/506690/8 "2009-08-17T19:52:13Z")
It’s German for [hideously expensive microphone](http://www.neumann.com/?id=2&lang=en). ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2009, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-does-the-surname-neumann-come-from/506690/9 "2009-08-17T19:58:26Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Serenata67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/serenata67/32/10646_2.png) [@Serenata67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Serenata67)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2009, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-does-the-surname-neumann-come-from/506690/10 "2009-08-18T02:10:07Z")
It’s Jewish for “[donates](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Newman)all post-tax profits to charity” ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2009, 5:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-does-the-surname-neumann-come-from/506690/11 "2009-08-18T05:05:22Z")
> [@Polycarp](#): > > 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. 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. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2009, 10:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-does-the-surname-neumann-come-from/506690/12 "2009-08-18T10:22:05Z")
> [@gaffa](#): > > It’s German for [hideously expensive microphone](http://www.neumann.com/?id=2&lang=en). > [@Serenata67](#): > > It’s Jewish for “[donates](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Newman)all post-tax profits to charity” It’s Amurrican Idiot for “[What? Me Worry?](http://www.leconcombre.com/alfred/img2/alfred_e_neuman_01.jpg)” ---
**Author:** ![Ximenean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/aca169/32.png) [@Ximenean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ximenean)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2009, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-does-the-surname-neumann-come-from/506690/13 "2009-08-18T14:32:40Z")
> [@Derleth](#): > > 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. You know, I never made that connection. So they discovered a new man, if you will, in “new man’s valley”. Cool! ---
**Author:** ![ColdPhoenix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6bbea6/32.png) [@ColdPhoenix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ColdPhoenix)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2009, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-does-the-surname-neumann-come-from/506690/14 "2009-08-18T14:46:25Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > …thus prompting everyone to greet him, “Hello, New Man.” Excellent! 😃