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

Hilbert, 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 Hilbert surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Hilbert in America

Hilbert is the 5707th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Hilbert surname appeared 6,077 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Hilbert.

We can also compare 2010 data for Hilbert 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 Hilbert

The surname Hilbert originated in Germany, with its earliest records dating back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Germanic personal name Hildebrand, which is composed of the elements "hildi" meaning "battle" and "brand" meaning "sword." The name Hildebrand was widely used during the medieval period and eventually gave rise to various surnames, including Hilbert.

One of the earliest known bearers of the Hilbert surname was a knight named Hilbertus, who was mentioned in a historical document from the city of Cologne in the 12th century. Another early record comes from the village of Hilbersdorf, located in what is now the state of Saxony-Anhalt, which dates back to the 13th century. The place name Hilbersdorf likely originated from a person named Hilbert or a variation thereof.

In the 14th century, the Hilbert surname appeared in various records across different regions of Germany, indicating its widespread use. One notable figure from this period was Johannes Hilbert, a scholar and theologian born in the city of Erfurt around 1350, who became a prominent figure in the intellectual circles of his time.

During the Renaissance period, the Hilbert surname continued to be found in various parts of Germany. One notable individual was Leonhard Hilbert, a German painter and engraver born in Nuremberg in 1516. His works, which included portraits and religious scenes, were highly regarded during his lifetime.

In the 19th century, the Hilbert surname gained further prominence with the birth of David Hilbert (1862-1943), one of the most influential mathematicians of the modern era. Hilbert made groundbreaking contributions to various fields of mathematics, including geometry, algebra, and logic. He is particularly renowned for his work on the foundations of mathematics and his famous list of 23 unsolved problems, which helped shape the course of mathematical research for decades.

Other notable individuals bearing the Hilbert surname include Otto Hilbert (1896-1965), a German-American mathematician known for his contributions to algebraic number theory and functional analysis, and Jörg Hilbert (born 1948), a German chess grandmaster and author of several books on chess theory and strategy.

The Hilbert surname has a rich history rooted in the medieval period and has been associated with notable figures across various fields, from scholars and theologians to artists and mathematicians. Its origins can be traced back to the Germanic personal name Hildebrand, reflecting its long-standing presence in German culture and society.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Hilbert

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

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

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

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