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

Engen, 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 Engen surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Engen in America

Engen is the 12817th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Engen surname appeared 2,406 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 Engen.

We can also compare 2010 data for Engen 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 Engen

The surname "ENGEN" originated in Norway during the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old Norse word "eng," which means "meadow" or "pasture." This suggests that the name may have been initially used as a descriptive term for individuals who lived near or worked on meadows or pastures.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the surname "ENGEN" can be found in the Norwegian census records from the 16th century. The name appeared in various spellings, such as "Enghen," "Enghene," and "Enghenn," likely due to regional variations in pronunciation and spelling conventions at the time.

In the 17th century, the surname "ENGEN" began to appear more frequently in Norwegian church records and historical documents. One notable individual bearing this name was Hans Engen (1635-1702), a farmer and landowner from the Gudbrandsdalen valley in central Norway.

As the name spread across Norway, it became associated with specific geographic locations. For instance, the village of Engen in Vestland county is believed to have derived its name from the surname, indicating that it may have been founded or inhabited by families with the "ENGEN" surname.

During the 19th century, several individuals with the surname "ENGEN" achieved notable recognition. One such person was Nils Engen (1813-1892), a Norwegian politician and member of the Storting (the Norwegian parliament). Another notable figure was Inger Engen (1856-1935), a Norwegian author and women's rights activist.

In the 20th century, the surname "ENGEN" continued to be associated with various professions and fields. One prominent individual was Olav Engen (1905-1989), a Norwegian speed skater who won multiple medals at the Winter Olympics in the 1930s. Another notable figure was Inger Marie Engen (1924-2005), a Norwegian actress and singer who had a successful career in theater and film.

It's worth mentioning that the surname "ENGEN" has also been recorded in other Scandinavian countries, such as Sweden and Denmark, although its origins can be traced back to Norway. Additionally, variations of the name, such as "Engh" and "Eng," have been observed in other regions, potentially reflecting the spread and adaptation of the name across different linguistic and cultural contexts.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Engen

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

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

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

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