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

Naef, 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 Naef surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Naef in America

Naef is the 44576th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Naef surname appeared 482 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 Naef.

We can also compare 2010 data for Naef 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 Naef

The surname NAEF originated in Switzerland during the late medieval period. It is believed to be derived from the Old Swiss German word "naefe," which referred to a small basin or bowl-shaped valley. This suggests that the earliest bearers of this name likely resided in or near such a geographical feature.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the NAEF surname can be found in the records of the Canton of Bern, Switzerland, dating back to the 15th century. Specifically, a certain Hans Naef was documented as a resident of the village of Oberhofen in 1487.

In the 16th century, the NAEF name appeared in various Swiss municipal records and documents, such as tax rolls and land deeds. Notable individuals from this era include Jakob Naef, a farmer from the village of Spiez, who was born around 1520, and Hans Rudolf Naef, a prominent merchant from Bern, born in 1572.

As the centuries progressed, the NAEF surname spread beyond its Swiss origins. In the 17th century, Johann Naef, a Swiss Protestant who was born in 1621, migrated to the Palatinate region of Germany, where he and his descendants became known as the Naeff family.

During the 18th century, the NAEF name gained recognition through the works of Swiss mathematician and astronomer Johann Kaspar Naef (1728-1801), who made significant contributions to the study of celestial mechanics.

In the 19th century, the NAEF surname found its way to other parts of Europe and even across the Atlantic. One notable figure was Émile Naef (1845-1912), a French-Swiss artist and painter who was born in Geneva and achieved renown for his landscapes and portraits.

As the 20th century dawned, the NAEF name continued to be associated with various professions and fields. For example, Albert Naef (1885-1964) was a Swiss architect and urban planner who played a pivotal role in the development of modern Zurich.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Naef

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

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

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

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