Fun Facts About the Name Edman
- 164 babies named Edman: U.S. records list 164 babies given the name Edman from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Edman Mean?
Edman is a Scandinavian surname, chiefly Swedish, built from the elements Ed and man. In Swedish, ed can mean "isthmus" - a narrow strip of land between two bodies of water - and man means "man," so the name reads literally as "man at the isthmus" or "man from the isthmus." The -man ending is one of the most common Swedish surname suffixes, seen in names such as Bergman and Lindman, which were typically formed from a place, a landscape feature, or a personal name. A competing explanation treats Ed as a short form of a personal name like Edvard, which would make Edman a name rooted in a given name rather than in terrain. Both patterns were productive in Scandinavian naming, so the precise origin of an individual family's Edman cannot be settled from the spelling alone. The name also exists as an English surname, where it has a separate and less certain derivation; it should not be assumed to share the Swedish origin.
Edman Name History & Origins
Edman belongs to the broad class of Scandinavian family names formed with the suffix -man. In Sweden, hereditary surnames of this type spread during the 18th and 19th centuries as the older patronymic system - names that changed with each generation, like Andersson or Larsson - gradually gave way to fixed family names. Names ending in -man were coined in several ways: from a place or landscape feature, from a personal name, or as ornamental and occupational surnames, and soldiers and clergymen often received or adopted names of this shape. The first element of Edman reflects Swedish ed, "isthmus," a word that appears in many Swedish place names, so the name most likely identified a person or family connected with such a location. The name is found in Norway and in Swedish-speaking areas of Finland as well as in Sweden, and it traveled with Scandinavian immigrants to North America, where surnames of this kind have sometimes been used as given names. Evidence for the name's earliest forms is limited, and the two plausible explanations of its first element remain difficult to separate.
How Popular is the Name Edman?
Edman has historically been an exceptionally rare given name in the United States, remaining well outside the national mainstream. It saw its highest recorded annual births in 1916. Its best rank was #2,365 in 1937.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | #11,477 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1996 | #9,416 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1979 | #5,552 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1978 | #6,088 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1977 | #6,133 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1964 | #4,222 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1961 | #4,236 | 5 | 0.0002% |
| 1950 | #3,421 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1947 | #3,891 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1940 | #3,593 | 5 | 0.0004% |
| 1939 | #2,909 | 7 | 0.0006% |
| 1937 | #2,365 | 10 | 0.0009% |
| 1930 | #2,651 | 10 | 0.0009% |
| 1929 | #4,129 | 5 | 0.0005% |
| 1928 | #2,713 | 10 | 0.0009% |
| 1927 | #3,893 | 6 | 0.0005% |
| 1924 | #4,524 | 5 | 0.0004% |
| 1923 | #3,572 | 7 | 0.0006% |
| 1922 | #4,489 | 5 | 0.0005% |
| 1921 | #3,285 | 8 | 0.0007% |
| 1920 | #3,950 | 6 | 0.0006% |
| 1918 | #2,588 | 11 | 0.0011% |
| 1917 | #4,148 | 5 | 0.0005% |
| 1916 | #2,422 | 11 | 0.0012% |
| 1912 | #2,648 | 5 | 0.0012% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
Most Popular Boy Names That Start with E
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How the Name Edman Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You are fine when in harmony but changeable when in discord, because many of your best qualities are then reversed. You are entertaining but may be impulsive. Freedom is a necessity, and you find it difficult to settle down. Your versatility results in many changes, and often brings travel. Your fine intellect is capable of high honors if applied seriously. You are capable of inspired thinking applied to material things. You can be restless, changeable, and very sexy. You have an eventful, exciting life. You are versatile and have the ability to learn easily.
You are always looking for a chance to do your own thing, to be your own person, and to have things done your own way.
✦ Edman's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Edman's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.