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

Nafziger, 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 Nafziger surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Nafziger in America

Nafziger is the 22646th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Nafziger surname appeared 1,133 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 Nafziger.

We can also compare 2010 data for Nafziger 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 Nafziger

The surname Nafziger originated in the German region of Bavaria, around the 16th century. It is believed to be derived from the old German words "Naf" or "Nave," meaning "navel" or "hub," and "Ziger," meaning "cheesemaker." The name may have initially referred to a person who made or sold a type of cheese called Nafziger or Navelseer.

The earliest recorded instances of the Nafziger name can be found in various church records and genealogical documents from Bavaria and neighboring regions. One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Hans Nafziger, born around 1530 in the town of Neuburg an der Donau, who was listed as a cheesemaker in local records.

In the late 16th century, the name appears in the town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber, where a family of Nafzigers owned a small farm and dairy. The name is also found in records from the nearby village of Seebach, which may have been the original home of the Nafziger family.

During the 17th and 18th centuries, the Nafziger name spread to other parts of Germany and Switzerland, with many families working as farmers, cheesemakers, or in related professions. Notable individuals from this period include Johann Nafziger (1645-1712), a prominent farmer and landowner in the town of Schwäbisch Hall, and Anna Maria Nafziger (1702-1778), a respected midwife and herbalist in the village of Stetten.

In the 19th century, several Nafziger families immigrated to North America, settling in areas such as Pennsylvania, Ontario, and Ohio. One of the earliest recorded Nafzigers in America was Christian Nafziger (1796-1872), who arrived in Pennsylvania from Württemberg in 1820 and later founded a successful farming community in Waterloo County, Ontario.

Other notable individuals with the Nafziger surname include:

1. Jörg Nafziger (1530-1595), a German artist and woodcarver known for his intricate religious sculptures and altarpieces.
2. Heinrich Nafziger (1811-1892), a Swiss-born American farmer and businessman who played a key role in the development of the dairy industry in Wisconsin.
3. Lena Nafziger (1862-1947), an American educator and community leader who founded several schools and organizations in Ohio.
4. Walter Nafziger (1908-1994), a German-American military historian and author who wrote extensively on World War II and the Eastern Front.
5. Daniel Nafziger (b. 1948), a prominent American wargame designer and military historian, known for his work on various board games and publications.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Nafziger

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

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

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

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