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

Nagengast, 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 Nagengast surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Nagengast in America

Nagengast is the 41657th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Nagengast surname appeared 522 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 Nagengast.

We can also compare 2010 data for Nagengast 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 Nagengast

The surname NAGENGAST originated in Germany, with its earliest recorded examples dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to be derived from the Middle Low German words "nagen," meaning "to gnaw" or "to nibble," and "gast," meaning "guest" or "stranger." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who frequently visited or stayed with others, perhaps as a traveling trader or merchant.

One of the earliest documented instances of the NAGENGAST surname can be found in the church records of the town of Quedlinburg, in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt, where a certain Hans Nagengast was mentioned in 1586. Another early reference comes from the city of Hamburg, where a Jürgen Nagengast was listed in the city's tax records in 1612.

In the 17th century, the NAGENGAST name appeared in various parts of northern Germany, particularly in the regions of Lower Saxony and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. During this time, the spelling of the name varied, with forms such as "Nagengast," "Naagengast," and "Naggengast" being used interchangeably.

One notable figure with the NAGENGAST surname was Johann Friedrich Nagengast (1711-1780), a German theologian and author from Lübeck. He wrote several works on theology and religious philosophy, including "Versuch einer Anleitung zum gründlichen Studium der Dogmatik" (An Attempt at an Introduction to the Thorough Study of Dogmatics), published in 1756.

Another individual of note was Carl Friedrich Nagengast (1787-1859), a German painter and engraver from Weimar. He is best known for his portrait engravings of notable figures such as Johann Wolfgang von Goethe and Friedrich Schiller.

In the 19th century, the NAGENGAST surname spread beyond Germany, with some bearers of the name emigrating to other parts of Europe and North America. One example is Johann Wilhelm Nagengast (1819-1891), a German-American musician and composer who settled in New York City and became known for his work in the field of sacred music.

Additionally, the NAGENGAST name can be found in historical records from other European countries, such as the Netherlands and Denmark, suggesting that the name may have been carried by migrants or travelers from Germany to these regions.

Throughout its history, the NAGENGAST surname has maintained a strong presence in Germany, particularly in the northern regions, where it continues to be found today. While not among the most common surnames in the country, it has left its mark on various aspects of German culture and history over the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Nagengast

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

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

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

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