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

Herzberg, 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 Herzberg surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Herzberg in America

Herzberg is the 15194th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Herzberg surname appeared 1,939 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 Herzberg.

We can also compare 2010 data for Herzberg 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 Herzberg

The surname Herzberg is of German origin, originating in the Middle Ages. It is a topographic name, derived from the German words "Herz" meaning heart and "Berg" meaning mountain or hill. This suggests that the name was likely given to someone who lived near a distinctive heart-shaped mountain or hill.

The earliest recorded instances of the name date back to the 13th century, with references found in medieval German records and manuscripts. One notable example is a mention of a Ritter Herzberg (Knight Herzberg) in a 1271 document from the region of Saxony.

In the 14th century, variations of the name such as Hertzeberge and Hertzberge can be found in historical records from various German states and principalities. This indicates that the name was widespread across the German-speaking regions of Central Europe during this period.

During the Renaissance era, the Herzberg name gained prominence with the birth of Johann Herzberg (1497-1562), a German theologian and Protestant reformer who was a prominent figure in the Lutheran movement. He was a contemporary of Martin Luther and played a significant role in the establishment of Protestantism in Germany.

Another notable figure was Friedrich Wilhelm Herzberg (1725-1802), a Prussian statesman and diplomat who served as the Prime Minister of Prussia under King Frederick the Great. He was instrumental in the modernization of the Prussian state and its political reforms.

In the 19th century, the Herzberg name was associated with the German industrialist and banker Gustav Herzberg (1826-1907), who was a pioneer in the development of the German coal and steel industries. He founded the Herzberg Mining Company, which became one of the largest coal mining operations in Europe at the time.

The name Herzberg has also been linked to several notable academics and scientists. One example is the German-American physicist Gerhard Herzberg (1904-1999), who won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1971 for his contributions to the understanding of electronic structure and geometry of molecules, particularly free radicals.

While the Herzberg surname originated in Germany, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and immigration. However, its earliest roots and historical significance can be traced back to the heart-shaped hills and mountains of medieval Germany, where the name first emerged.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Herzberg

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!