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

Nagbe, 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 Nagbe surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Nagbe in America

Nagbe is the 86005th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Nagbe surname appeared 217 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 Nagbe.

We can also compare 2010 data for Nagbe 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 Nagbe

The surname Nagbe originated in the West African nation of Liberia, where it first appeared in the late 18th century. It is believed to be derived from the Kru language spoken by the Grebo people of eastern Liberia, with the root "nag" meaning "to be strong" or "to be brave." The "be" suffix may have been a common ending for surnames in the region.

One of the earliest documented references to the Nagbe name can be found in the records of the American Colonization Society, which established a settlement for freed slaves in Liberia in 1822. Among the early settlers were several families with the surname Nagbe, suggesting they were part of the initial wave of immigrants from the United States.

In the mid-19th century, a man named Sando Nagbe (1824-1892) became a prominent figure in the newly-formed Republic of Liberia. He served as a senator and played a key role in drafting the country's constitution. His son, Alfred Nagbe (1856-1920), followed in his footsteps and held the position of Secretary of State from 1894 to 1896.

Another notable bearer of the Nagbe name was Joseph Jenkins Nagbe (1881-1966), a Liberian educator and diplomat who served as the country's envoy to several European nations in the early 20th century. He was also a respected linguist and author, publishing works on the Kru language and Liberian folklore.

During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the Nagbe surname began to spread beyond Liberia's borders as members of the family emigrated to other parts of West Africa and the Americas. For instance, James Nagbe (1892-1978), a businessman and activist, was born in Liberia but spent much of his life in the United States, where he campaigned for African-American rights.

While the Nagbe name is most closely associated with Liberia, it has also been found in other countries with significant Liberian diaspora communities, such as Ghana, Sierra Leone, and the United States. Prominent bearers of the name in more recent times include Liberian politician Wilmot Nagbe (1931-2022) and American author and academic Kojo Nagbe (born 1966).

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Nagbe

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

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

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

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