Assmann
Assmann, Aßmann or Assman (pronounced "oss-man") is a German surname.
History and usage
[edit]The surname Assman comes from Assmannshausen.[1] Despite its pronunciation of "oss-man", it is still associated with the profanity "ass".[1]
The surname Assman gained notoriety in the 1995, when Canadian gas station employee Dick Assman was featured on Late Show with David Letterman.[2]
In 2019, a man named Dave Assman of Melville, Saskatchewan, earned notoriety when he attempted to get a vanity licence plate with his surname on it; when Saskatchewan Government Insurance rejected his request, he had a tailgate-sized replica of an "ASSMAN" licence plate painted on the back of his truck, mimicking an episode of the sitcom Seinfeld. News reports did not indicate if Dick and Dave Assman were related, but did note both pronounced their names the same way and were of German descent.[3][4]
Notable people with the surname
[edit]- Aleida Assmann (born 1947), professor of Egyptology, literary and cultural studies
- Arno Assmann (1908–1979), German actor and film director
- Charles Assmann (born 1972), Canadian football player
- Dick Assman (1934–2016), Canadian petrol station owner
- Elisabeth Aßmann (born 1990), German politician
- Fabián Assmann (born 1986), Argentine football goalkeeper
- Hans Assmann (1923–1998), alleged KGB intelligence officer
- Hans Erasmus Aßmann (1646–1699), German poet, statesman and translator
- Jan Assmann (1938–2024), German Egyptologist
- Katja Aßmann (born 1971), German art historian
- Peter Assmann (born 1963), Austrian writer and visual artist
- Richard Assmann (1845–1918), meteorologist
- Sarah M. Assmann, American biologist
- Susan Assmann, American mathematician and statistician
- William F. Assmann (1862–1920), balloonist
References
[edit]- ^ a b Elder, Adam (2019-02-15). "Three Men on What It's Like to Have the Last Name Assman (or Assmann)". MEL Magazine. Retrieved 2025-10-26.
- ^ "What a cheek: The Assman is coming to Ontario". Toronto Star. 4 August 1995. p. A14. Archived from the original on 4 September 2014. Retrieved 3 September 2014.
- ^ "A Saskatchewanian Named Assman Has Once Again Been Denied an 'ASSMAN' Licence Plate". The StarPhoenix. 8 February 2019. Archived from the original on 2019-02-15.
- ^ MacPherson, Alex (14 February 2019). "Assman Strikes Back: Denied Licence Plate, Saskatchewan Man Emblazons 'Offensive' Last Name on Tailgate". National Post. Archived from the original on 2022-05-07.
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