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

Driedger, 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 Driedger surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Driedger in America

Driedger is the 129825th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Driedger surname appeared 131 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 Driedger.

We can also compare 2010 data for Driedger 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 Driedger

The surname Driedger originates from the Low German language spoken in northern Germany and the Netherlands. It likely emerged during the 16th or 17th century when surnames were becoming more commonplace. The name is derived from the Low German word "driedger," meaning a drainer or someone who drained marshes and fens.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Driedger name can be found in the Dutch province of Friesland, where it was spelled as "Driedgher" or "Driedgher." This region had many marshy areas that needed to be drained for agricultural purposes, which might explain the origin of the occupational surname.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, many Driedgers migrated from the Netherlands to Prussia (now part of Poland and Russia) as part of the Mennonite diaspora. This religious group sought refuge from persecution and found new homes in the Vistula Delta region, where they continued to use their Dutch surnames.

In the 18th century, some Driedger families relocated again, this time to the Russian Empire. They settled in the Chortitza Colony along the Dnieper River, where they established farming communities. The earliest known Driedger in Russia was Jacob Driedger, born in 1735.

Another notable Driedger was Cornelius Driedger (1789-1854), a Mennonite minister and leader in the Molotschna Colony of Ukraine. He played a significant role in the religious and cultural life of the Mennonite community in Russia.

During the 19th century, many Driedgers immigrated from Russia to North America, seeking new opportunities and fleeing religious persecution. One of the first Driedgers to arrive in Canada was Johann Driedger (1828-1888), who settled in Manitoba in 1874.

In the United States, one of the earliest recorded Driedgers was Peter Driedger (1810-1885), who immigrated from Russia to Kansas in the late 19th century. He and his family were among the first Mennonite settlers in the region.

Throughout history, the Driedger surname has been associated with various occupations, including farming, religious leadership, and education. While the name originated as an occupational surname related to drainage work, it has since become a widely recognized surname among Mennonite communities around the world.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Driedger

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!