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

Heiniger, 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 Heiniger surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Heiniger in America

Heiniger is the 67943rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Heiniger surname appeared 290 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 Heiniger.

We can also compare 2010 data for Heiniger 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 Heiniger

The surname Heiniger originated in the German-speaking regions of Europe, particularly in Switzerland and parts of Germany. It likely traces its roots back to the Middle Ages, between the 11th and 15th centuries.

One theory suggests that the name Heiniger derives from the German word "Heinig," which means "small" or "little." This could indicate that the original bearer of the name was of diminutive stature or perhaps a younger son in a family. Another possible origin is the Old High German name "Heino," which was a personal name derived from the word "heim," meaning "home."

Early records show variations in the spelling, such as Heiniger, Heiniger, Heyniger, and Heyneger. These differences were common in the era before standardized spelling conventions were established.

One of the earliest documented references to the name Heiniger can be found in the Swiss town of Bern, where a Johannes Heiniger is mentioned in a court record from 1438. This suggests that the name was already established in that region by the 15th century.

Another notable bearer of the Heiniger name was Hans Heiniger, a Swiss soldier and mercenary who fought in the Italian Wars during the late 15th and early 16th centuries. He was born around 1470 in the canton of Zurich and is said to have distinguished himself in the Battle of Novara in 1513.

In the 17th century, there was a prominent Heiniger family in the German city of Nuremberg. Johann Georg Heiniger (1635-1711) was a successful merchant and member of the city council. His son, Johann Christoph Heiniger (1673-1738), followed in his footsteps as a respected businessman and civic leader.

Moving into the 18th century, one noteworthy figure was the Swiss painter Johann Jakob Heiniger (1728-1803), who was known for his landscapes and portraits. He spent much of his career in Bern and contributed to the artistic culture of that city.

Another accomplished individual with the Heiniger surname was the 19th-century Swiss physicist and mathematician Jakob Heiniger (1818-1884). He made significant contributions to the study of electromagnetism and was a professor at the University of Zurich.

Throughout its history, the Heiniger name has been associated with various locations, including the Swiss cantons of Bern, Zurich, and Aargau, as well as parts of southern Germany, such as Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Heiniger

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

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

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

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