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

Irr, 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 Irr surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Irr in America

Irr is the 110286th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Irr surname appeared 160 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 Irr.

We can also compare 2010 data for Irr 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 Irr

The surname IRR originated in Germany, with its earliest recorded use dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to be derived from the Middle High German word "irre," which meant "wanderer" or "one who roams." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who traveled frequently or lived a nomadic lifestyle.

The name IRR can be traced to the region of Hessen in central Germany, where it was particularly prevalent in the towns and villages surrounding the city of Frankfurt. One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name appears in the parish records of the village of Niederursel, near Frankfurt, in 1564, when a man named Hans Irr was listed as a resident.

During the 17th and 18th centuries, the name IRR began to spread beyond its initial stronghold in Hessen. Records show individuals bearing this surname in various parts of Germany, including Bavaria, Saxony, and Prussia. One notable figure from this era was Johann Irr, a Lutheran pastor born in Saxony in 1678, who authored several religious texts and served as a minister in several churches throughout his lifetime.

In the 19th century, the surname IRR gained wider recognition with the birth of Karl Irr (1809-1886), a German businessman and industrialist who founded a successful textile manufacturing company in the town of Augsburg, Bavaria. His company, Irr & Söhne (Irr & Sons), became a major employer in the region and played a significant role in the city's economic development.

Another prominent individual with the surname IRR was Wilhelm Irr (1826-1909), a German-born historian and educator who emigrated to the United States in the mid-19th century. He taught at various universities, including the University of Wisconsin and the University of Minnesota, and authored several books on German history and culture.

In the early 20th century, the name IRR gained international recognition through the work of Otto Irr (1889-1967), a German-born artist and illustrator who spent much of his career in New York City. His illustrations appeared in numerous publications, including The New Yorker magazine, and he is particularly known for his depictions of urban life and scenes from the theater.

While the surname IRR has its origins in Germany, it has since spread to various parts of the world due to migration and diaspora. However, its earliest roots and historical significance can be traced back to the central German region of Hessen and the surrounding areas, where it first emerged as a distinct family name centuries ago.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Irr

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

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

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Irr, 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!