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

Irgens, 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 Irgens surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Irgens in America

Irgens is the 100302nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Irgens surname appeared 180 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 Irgens.

We can also compare 2010 data for Irgens 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 Irgens

The surname Irgens originates from Norway and dates back to the 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old Norse word "irgingr," which means "greedy" or "avaricious." The name was likely initially used as a nickname or descriptive term for someone who exhibited these traits.

In the early days, the surname Irgens was predominantly found in the western regions of Norway, particularly in the counties of Rogaland and Hordaland. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Diplomatarium Norvegicum, a collection of medieval Norwegian diplomas and charters, dating back to the 13th century.

During the 14th century, the Irgens family gained prominence in Bergen, which was then a thriving trading hub. Notable individuals from this period include Olav Irgens (c. 1320-1390), a wealthy merchant and ship owner, and his son, Eirik Irgens (c. 1355-1420), who served as a prominent member of the city council.

As the centuries passed, the Irgens surname spread to other parts of Norway, and various spelling variations emerged, such as Irgenes, Irghens, and Yrgens. One of the most illustrious bearers of the name was Peder Irgens (1592-1666), a Norwegian clergyman and scholar who was appointed Bishop of Trondheim in 1648.

Another notable figure was Olaus Irgens (1724-1803), a Norwegian-Danish botanist and naturalist who made significant contributions to the study of Scandinavian flora. He was born in Trondhjem (now Trondheim) and later became a professor at the University of Copenhagen.

In the 19th century, the Irgens family continued to produce distinguished individuals, such as Hans Irgens (1823-1900), a Norwegian politician and lawyer who served as the Minister of Justice and the Police from 1873 to 1874.

Throughout its history, the surname Irgens has been associated with various professions, including merchants, clergymen, academics, and government officials, reflecting the diverse backgrounds of those who bore this name.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Irgens

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

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

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

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