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

Herbst, 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 Herbst surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Herbst in America

Herbst is the 4208th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Herbst surname appeared 8,419 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Herbst.

We can also compare 2010 data for Herbst 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 Herbst

The surname Herbst originated in Germany, likely during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the German word "herbst," meaning "autumn" or "harvest." This suggests that the name may have been initially given to someone who lived near a harvest field or was associated with agricultural activities during the autumn season.

The earliest recorded instances of the Herbst surname can be traced back to the 13th century in various regions of Germany, including Bavaria, Saxony, and the Rhineland. One notable historical figure bearing this name was Johannes Herbst, a German composer and organist who lived from around 1520 to 1570.

In the 16th century, the Herbst name appeared in several German records and manuscripts, such as the Nuremberg Chronicles, a famous illustrated world history book published in 1493. This suggests that the name had gained some prominence during this period.

During the 17th and 18th centuries, the Herbst surname spread to other parts of Europe as Germans migrated to neighboring countries. For instance, Johann Christian Herbst, a German-born entomologist and naturalist, lived from 1735 to 1812 and made significant contributions to the study of insects.

Another notable figure was Johann Friedrich Wilhelm Herbst, a German writer and philosopher who lived from 1743 to 1807. He was known for his works on aesthetics and the philosophy of art.

In the 19th century, the Herbst name found its way to North America as German immigrants settled in various regions of the United States and Canada. One example is Wilhelm Herbst, a German-American botanist and horticulturist who lived from 1825 to 1901 and made significant contributions to the study of plants and their cultivation.

The surname Herbst has also been associated with various place names in Germany, such as Herbstein, a town in Hesse, and Herbstmühle, a former village in Bavaria. These place names likely originated from the same root word as the surname, further reinforcing the connection between the name and the autumnal season or harvest-related activities.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Herbst

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

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

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

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