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

Dreher, 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 Dreher surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Dreher in America

Dreher is the 6074th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Dreher surname appeared 5,644 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Dreher.

We can also compare 2010 data for Dreher 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 Dreher

The surname Dreher is of German origin, derived from the Middle High German word "dreher" meaning "turner" or "one who turns". This name likely originated as an occupational surname referring to someone who worked as a turner, crafting wooden objects such as bowls, furniture, and other household items.

Historically, the name Dreher can be traced back to the 14th century in various regions of Germany, including Bavaria, Saxony, and Silesia. In the 15th century, records show the name spelled as "Dreyer" or "Dreier" in some areas.

One of the earliest documented references to the name Dreher can be found in the Bavarian State Archives, which mentions a Johann Dreher from the town of Nürnberg in 1487. Another notable early record is the mention of a Hans Dreher in the city of Leipzig in 1502.

In the 16th century, the surname Dreher appeared in several German town records and church registers. For instance, a Christoph Dreher was born in Naumburg in 1543, and a Matthias Dreher was recorded in the town of Kulmbach in 1578.

Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals bearing the surname Dreher. One of the earliest was Johannes Dreher (1491-1565), a German theologian and reformer who worked alongside Martin Luther during the Protestant Reformation.

Another notable Dreher was Johann Philipp Dreher (1625-1692), a German jurist and legal scholar who served as a professor at the University of Tübingen. In the 18th century, Johann Samuel Dreher (1751-1824) gained recognition as a German theologian and author.

In the field of music, Johann Baptist Dreher (1824-1894) was a renowned German composer and conductor who served as the director of the Court Opera in Vienna. Additionally, Gustav Dreher (1859-1940) was a prominent German entrepreneur and co-founder of the Dreher Breweries.

These are just a few examples of individuals bearing the surname Dreher who have made significant contributions throughout history in various fields, highlighting the rich heritage and legacy of this German surname.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Dreher

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

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

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

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