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

Hilger, 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 Hilger surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Hilger in America

Hilger is the 14643rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Hilger surname appeared 2,032 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 Hilger.

We can also compare 2010 data for Hilger 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 Hilger

The surname Hilger is of German origin, deriving from the German personal name Hilger, a contracted form of Hildeger or Hildiger. The name Hildeger is composed of the Germanic elements "hild" meaning battle and "ger" meaning spear. The name Hilger is believed to have first emerged in the Middle Ages, around the 12th or 13th century.

The Hilger surname is thought to have originated in the region of Saxony, which at the time encompassed parts of modern-day Germany and the Netherlands. It is believed to have been particularly prevalent in the areas around the cities of Leipzig and Dresden.

While no specific historical references to the name Hilger have been found in medieval manuscripts or records such as the Domesday Book, the name's Germanic origins suggest it was likely used during the Middle Ages as a personal name before becoming a hereditary surname.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Hilger dates back to the 15th century, with a Johannes Hilger mentioned in a document from the city of Nuremberg in 1482. Another early example is found in the records of the city of Erfurt, where a Hans Hilger is listed as a resident in 1516.

Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who have borne the surname Hilger. One such person was Johann Hilger (1535-1608), a German artist and engraver who was best known for his woodcut illustrations in religious texts.

Another notable figure was Carl Hilger (1818-1890), a German astronomer and mathematician who made significant contributions to the field of celestial mechanics. He was born in Berlin and spent much of his career teaching at the University of Leipzig.

In the 20th century, Wilhelm Hilger (1892-1967) was a German physicist who specialized in the study of X-rays and their applications in medicine. He worked at the University of Munich and made important advancements in the field of radiography.

The name Hilger has also been associated with notable places, such as the town of Hilger in Montana, United States, which was named after a local landowner named Hilger who lived in the area in the late 19th century.

While the surname Hilger is not among the most common in the world, it has a rich history that can be traced back to its Germanic origins and has been borne by individuals who have made significant contributions in various fields throughout the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Hilger

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

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

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

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