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

Engbrecht, 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 Engbrecht surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Engbrecht in America

Engbrecht is the 53316th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Engbrecht surname appeared 388 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 Engbrecht.

We can also compare 2010 data for Engbrecht 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 Engbrecht

The surname Engbrecht has its origins in Germany, emerging around the 12th century. It is derived from the Old Germanic words "eng," meaning "narrow," and "brecht," meaning "brilliant" or "shining." This combination suggests the name may have initially referred to someone living near a narrow, bright stream or a person with a radiant personality.

The earliest known record of the name appears in the Codex Diplomaticus, a collection of medieval documents from the region of Saxony, dating back to 1187. Here, a certain "Engelbrectus de Halle" is mentioned as a landowner in the town of Halle.

In the 14th century, the name is found in various spellings, such as "Engelbreht," "Engilbrecht," and "Engelbrecht," in documents from the cities of Augsburg, Nuremberg, and Regensburg. This indicates the name's widespread use across southern Germany during this period.

One notable figure bearing the Engbrecht name was Johann Engbrecht (1599-1642), a German composer and organist who served as the Kapellmeister at the court of Saxe-Weimar. His works, though lesser known today, were influential in the development of early Baroque music.

Another historical figure was Hans Engbrecht (1561-1614), a German goldsmith and engraver from Nuremberg. His intricate engravings and metalwork were highly sought after by nobility and wealthy patrons across Europe.

In the 18th century, a branch of the Engbrecht family settled in the town of Engbrechtsau, near Regensburg. This place name, which translates to "Engbrecht's Meadow," further solidifies the surname's Germanic roots.

A more recent figure was the German writer and journalist Theodor Engbrecht (1868-1943), who gained recognition for his novels and short stories depicting life in rural Bavaria.

Additionally, the name Engbrecht has been associated with several noble families in Germany, such as the Barons von Engbrecht, who held lands in Franconia and Swabia during the 16th and 17th centuries.

While the surname Engbrecht is not as common today as it once was, it remains a testament to the rich cultural heritage of Germany, carrying echoes of its ancient linguistic origins and the lives of those who bore it throughout history.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Engbrecht

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

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

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

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