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

Degen, 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 Degen surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Degen in America

Degen is the 14838th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Degen surname appeared 1,997 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Degen.

We can also compare 2010 data for Degen 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.

The history of the last name Degen

The surname DEGEN is believed to have originated in Germany, with the earliest records dating back to the 13th century. It is derived from the Middle High German word "degen," which means "brave" or "valiant." This suggests that the name may have initially been given as a nickname or descriptive term for someone who exhibited courage or bravery.

In the historical records, the name DEGEN appears in various forms, including Degen, Degan, and Tegen. These spelling variations were common in the Middle Ages due to the lack of standardized spelling conventions. One of the earliest known references to the name DEGEN can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Brandenburgensis, a collection of historical documents from the Margraviate of Brandenburg, which mentions a person named "Degen" in 1285.

The DEGEN surname has been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. One of the earliest recorded instances is Johannes Degen, a German theologian and philosopher who lived in the 15th century (born around 1420). Another prominent figure was Hans Degen, a German artist and engraver who was active in the 16th century (born around 1540).

In the 17th century, Johann Christian Degen, a German jurist and legal scholar (1628-1696), made significant contributions to the field of law. A century later, Johann Friedrich Degen (1766-1858), a German botanist and naturalist, played a role in advancing the study of plant life.

One of the most well-known individuals with the DEGEN surname was Johann Degen, a German composer and musician who lived during the 18th century (1722-1795). His works, particularly his operas and oratorios, were highly regarded in his time.

While the DEGEN name originated in Germany, it has since spread to other parts of Europe and beyond. Historical records show instances of the name in places such as Austria, Switzerland, and even parts of Eastern Europe, likely due to migration and population movements over the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Degen

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

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 Degen was:

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 Degen has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

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 Degen was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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