Arnst last name popularity, history, and meaning

Find out how popular the last name Arnst is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Arnst.

Meaning of Arnst

A topographic surname referring to someone who lived near or by a place called Arnst.

Arnst, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Arnst surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Arnst in America

Arnst is the 58042nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Arnst surname appeared 350 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Arnst.

We can also compare 2010 data for Arnst to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 58042 50468 13.96%
Count 350 389 -10.55%
Proportion per 100k 0.12 0.14 -15.38%

The history of the last name Arnst

The surname ARNST is believed to have originated in Germany, with its roots dating back to the Middle Ages. The name is thought to derive from the Old German word "arn," meaning "eagle," suggesting a connection to an occupation or a location associated with eagles.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the ARNST surname can be found in the German town of Arnsdorf, located in the state of Saxony. The town's name, which translates to "Eagle's Village," likely influenced the development of the surname. Historical records indicate that individuals bearing the name ARNST resided in this area as early as the 13th century.

In the 14th century, a notable figure named Johannes Arnst (c. 1300-1370) emerged as a prominent scholar and theologian from the city of Erfurt, in present-day Thuringia, Germany. His works on religious philosophy and theology were widely circulated during his lifetime, contributing to the recognition of the ARNST name.

Moving forward to the 16th century, the ARNST surname gained further prominence with the birth of Heinrich Arnst (1515-1583), a German composer and organist. He served as the court organist for the Dukes of Saxony and is renowned for his contributions to the development of Protestant church music.

In the 18th century, the ARNST name appeared in various historical records across German-speaking regions. One notable figure was Johann Arnst (1730-1798), a German philosopher and writer who authored several influential works on ethics and moral philosophy.

Another significant individual bearing the ARNST surname was Karl Arnst (1860-1932), a German politician and member of the Reichstag (German parliament) during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He played a crucial role in shaping the political landscape of his time and advocated for various social and economic reforms.

Over the centuries, the ARNST surname has been documented with slight variations in spelling, such as Arnste, Arnstie, and Arnstey. These variations were often influenced by regional dialects and phonetic adaptations, but they all share a common origin and connection to the German word "arn" and its association with eagles or eagle-related locations.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Arnst

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Arnst.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

  1. White only
  2. Black only
  3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
  4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
  5. Hispanic
  6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Arnst was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 93.43% 327
Non-Hispanic Black Only 0.00% 0
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 1.71% 6
Hispanic Origin 3.14% 11

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Arnst has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 93.43% 94.86% -1.52%
Black 0.00% (S)% (S)%
Asian and Pacific Islander (S)% (S)% (S)%
American Indian and Alaskan Native (S)% (S)% (S)%
Two or More Races 1.71% 1.54% 10.46%
Hispanic 3.14% 1.80% 54.25%

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Arnst was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Arnst, please contact us.

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"Arnst last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on July 23, 2025. http://namecensus.com/last-names/arnst-surname-popularity/.

"Arnst last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/arnst-surname-popularity/. Accessed 23 July, 2025

Arnst last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/arnst-surname-popularity/.

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