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

Enns, 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 Enns surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Enns in America

Enns is the 20739th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Enns surname appeared 1,275 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 Enns.

We can also compare 2010 data for Enns 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 Enns

The surname Enns originates from Germany and can be traced back to the 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old German word "Enne," meaning a meadow or pasture land. The name was initially concentrated in the northern regions of Germany, particularly in the areas around Hamburg and Schleswig-Holstein.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Enns can be found in the church records of the village of Bargteheide, near Hamburg, dating back to the mid-1500s. The name appears in various spellings, such as "Ennß," "Enß," and "Enns," reflecting the regional dialects and variations in orthography during that time period.

In the 17th century, the name Enns began to spread across Germany, and it can be found in records from cities like Berlin and Cologne. During this period, the name was also associated with certain occupations, such as farmers and agricultural workers, reflecting its roots in rural areas and the connection to meadows and pastures.

Historically, several notable individuals have borne the surname Enns. One of the earliest recorded was Johann Enns (1553-1628), a Lutheran theologian and professor at the University of Rostock. Another notable figure was Peter Enns (1677-1745), a German composer and organist who was active in Hamburg and made significant contributions to the development of the North German organ tradition.

In the 19th century, the name Enns gained prominence in the literary world with the writer and poet Karl Enns (1801-1867), whose works explored themes of nature and rural life. Additionally, the name was associated with the German-American community, as evidenced by the life of Wilhelm Enns (1836-1912), a prominent businessman and philanthropist who emigrated to the United States and established himself in Philadelphia.

Another notable figure bearing the surname Enns was the German physicist and Nobel laureate Wilhelm Enns (1888-1957), who made significant contributions to the field of quantum mechanics and was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1932 for his work on the wave-particle duality of matter.

While the name Enns has its origins in Germany, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly through emigration and the movement of people. However, its historical roots and connection to the Old German word "Enne" remain an integral part of its meaning and significance.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Enns

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

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

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

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