Find out how popular the last name Nacht is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Nacht.
A German surname meaning "night".
Nacht, 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 Nacht surname is from the 2010 census data.
Nacht is the 74826th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.
The Nacht surname appeared 258 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 Nacht.
We can also compare 2010 data for Nacht 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.
| 2010 | 2000 | Change (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | 74826 | 70906 | 5.38% |
| Count | 258 | 257 | 0.39% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.09 | 0.10 | -10.53% |
The surname Nacht is of German origin, with its roots traced back to the medieval period. The name is derived from the German word "Nacht," meaning "night," and was likely initially used as a descriptive surname for someone who worked during the night or was associated with night-related activities.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Nacht can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae Regiae, a collection of historical documents from the 12th century. In this compilation, a certain "Henricus Nacht" is mentioned, indicating the presence of the surname in that era.
During the 13th century, the name appears in various German regional records, such as the Urkundenbuch der Stadt Lübeck, which contains mentions of individuals with the surname Nacht residing in the city of Lübeck.
In the 15th century, the name Nacht gained prominence with the birth of Johannes Nacht (c. 1430-1505), a German scholar and humanist who taught at the University of Leipzig and was known for his contributions to the field of rhetoric.
Another notable bearer of the surname was Johann Friedrich Nacht (1652-1725), a German Lutheran theologian and author who served as a professor at the University of Wittenberg and is remembered for his works on theology and church history.
During the 17th century, the Nacht surname was also found in the Netherlands, with records indicating the presence of individuals with this name in cities like Amsterdam and Rotterdam. One such example is Pieter Nacht (1633-1719), a Dutch Golden Age painter known for his portraits and genre scenes.
In the 19th century, Carl Wilhelm Nacht (1808-1888) was a German landscape painter and engraver who studied at the Dresden Academy of Fine Arts and gained recognition for his depictions of natural scenery.
Another notable figure with the surname Nacht was Jacob Nacht (1860-1936), a German-American businessman and philanthropist who founded the Nacht & Lewis Chemists Corporation in New York City and made significant contributions to various educational and charitable organizations.
The Nacht surname has continued to be found in various parts of Germany, as well as in other German-speaking regions of Europe, and has been carried by individuals from diverse backgrounds and professions throughout history.
We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Nacht.
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:
For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Nacht was:
| Race/Ethnicity | Percentage | Total Occurrences |
|---|---|---|
| Non-Hispanic White Only | 92.25% | 238 |
| Non-Hispanic Black Only | (S)% | (S) |
| Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only | (S)% | (S) |
| Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.00% | 0 |
| Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races | 2.33% | 6 |
| Hispanic Origin | 5.04% | 13 |
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 Nacht has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.
| 2010 | 2000 | Change (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 92.25% | 95.33% | -3.28% |
| Black | (S)% | (S)% | (S)% |
| Asian and Pacific Islander | (S)% | (S)% | (S)% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Two or More Races | 2.33% | 0.00% | 200.00% |
| Hispanic | 5.04% | 4.28% | 16.31% |
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 Nacht was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.
If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Nacht, please contact us.
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