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

Degner, 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 Degner surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Degner in America

Degner is the 19763rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Degner surname appeared 1,362 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 Degner.

We can also compare 2010 data for Degner 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 Degner

The surname Degner originates from Germany, specifically from the region of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern in the north-eastern part of the country. It is believed to have emerged during the Middle Ages, around the 13th or 14th century.

Degner is derived from the Old German word "degene," which means "servant" or "attendant." This suggests that the name may have initially been given to individuals who worked in a household or manor, perhaps as domestic staff or personal attendants to the nobility or wealthy landowners.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name can be found in the "Mecklenburgisches Urkundenbuch," a collection of historical documents from the region of Mecklenburg, dating back to the 14th century. In this record, a person named "Johannes Degner" is listed as a witness in a legal document from the year 1372.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the surname Degner began to spread beyond the borders of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, appearing in various parts of northern and central Germany. This was likely due to the migration of individuals seeking employment or new opportunities.

Notable individuals with the surname Degner throughout history include:

1. Johann Degner (1625-1683), a German Lutheran theologian and writer who served as a pastor in Wittenberg.
2. Christian Degner (1652-1698), a German physician and botanist who made significant contributions to the study of medicinal plants.
3. Johann Hartmann Degner (1683-1756), a German jurist and legal scholar who held influential positions in the court system of Saxony.
4. Johann Friedrich Degner (1723-1798), a German composer and organist who worked in various churches in Saxony and Brandenburg.
5. Carl Degner (1836-1907), a German painter known for his landscapes and genre scenes depicting rural life in northern Germany.

It is worth noting that variations in spelling, such as "Degenhardt" or "Degenhart," may have existed in different regions or time periods, reflecting the evolution of the language and local dialects.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Degner

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

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

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

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