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

Enger, 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 Enger surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Enger in America

Enger is the 12204th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Enger surname appeared 2,552 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 Enger.

We can also compare 2010 data for Enger 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 Enger

The surname Enger originates from Norway and is believed to have its roots in the Old Norse language. It is thought to be a locational name derived from the Old Norse word "eng," which means "meadow" or "pasture." This suggests that the name may have initially been given to someone who lived near or worked on a meadow or pasture.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Enger can be found in the Norwegian census records from the 16th century. The spelling variations of the name included Enger, Engar, and Engr. These early records provide valuable insights into the geographic distribution of the name within Norway, primarily concentrated in the western and central regions.

In the 17th century, there are records of an Enger family residing in the town of Trondheim, which was an important trading center during that time. This indicates that the name may have been associated with individuals involved in agricultural or trade-related activities.

The 18th century saw the emergence of a notable figure named Hans Enger (1723-1801), who was a prominent merchant and shipowner in the coastal town of Bergen. His success and influence contributed to the recognition of the Enger name within the Norwegian business community of that era.

Another significant individual bearing the Enger surname was Nils Enger (1801-1865), a Norwegian politician and lawyer who served as a member of the Storting (Norwegian Parliament) in the mid-19th century. His involvement in shaping the country's legal and political landscape further added to the prominence of the name.

In the late 19th century, a Norwegian-American immigrant named Ole Enger (1846-1923) settled in Minnesota, United States. He became a successful farmer and played a role in the establishment of the Norwegian-American community in that region, ensuring the continuation of the Enger name beyond Norway's borders.

As the name spread across different parts of the world due to migration and immigration, variations such as Engberg and Engelund emerged, reflecting the influence of local languages and dialects on the spelling of the surname.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Enger

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

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

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

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