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

Heger, 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 Heger surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Heger in America

Heger is the 14957th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Heger surname appeared 1,977 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 Heger.

We can also compare 2010 data for Heger 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 Heger

The surname Heger originated in Germany, with its earliest recorded use dating back to the 13th century. The name is believed to be derived from the Old High German word "hagen," which means "hedged enclosure" or "hedge," indicating that the original bearers of this name may have lived near a hedged area or worked as hedge-makers.

One of the earliest documented references to the Heger name can be found in the records of the town of Nuremberg, where a certain Hainricus Heger was mentioned in 1295. This suggests that the name was already established in the region by the late 13th century.

In the 14th century, the Heger name appeared in various legal documents and records across different German states, such as Bavaria and Saxony. For instance, a Hans Heger was recorded as a landowner in the town of Augsburg in 1375.

The spelling of the name has evolved over time, with variations like Heeger, Hägger, and Heger being used interchangeably. One notable early bearer of the name was Johann Heger, a German theologian and educator who lived from 1647 to 1724. He served as a professor at the University of Heidelberg and made significant contributions to the field of education.

Another prominent figure with the Heger surname was Johann Baptist Heger (1756-1800), a German composer and violinist who was active during the Classical period. His works included several concertos for violin and orchestral pieces.

In the 19th century, the Heger name gained further recognition with the birth of Eduard Heger (1809-1883), a German philosopher and educator who taught at the University of Berlin. He was known for his work on the philosophy of education and his contributions to the development of the German educational system.

Towards the end of the 19th century, Elise Heger (1853-1942) made a name for herself as a German feminist and advocate for women's rights. She played a crucial role in the establishment of the first women's university in Germany and worked tirelessly to promote educational opportunities for women.

In the 20th century, one of the most notable individuals with the Heger surname was Robert Heger (1886-1978), a German architect and urban planner. He was responsible for designing several iconic buildings and urban development projects in cities like Berlin and Frankfurt.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Heger

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

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

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

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