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

Nagy, 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 Nagy surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Nagy in America

Nagy is the 2354th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Nagy surname appeared 15,497 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 5 people would have the surname Nagy.

We can also compare 2010 data for Nagy 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 Nagy

The surname NAGY is of Hungarian origin and can be traced back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Hungarian word 'nagy', which means 'great' or 'large'. The name was likely given as a descriptive nickname to someone who was tall or had a large build.

In the early records of Hungary, the name NAGY appeared frequently, often with a variety of spellings such as Noghy, Nagg, or Naghij. One of the earliest known examples is found in a document from 1301, which mentions a man named Miklós Nagy from the village of Kőrösszeg.

The name NAGY was also prevalent in medieval manuscripts and records from other parts of Central Europe, where Hungarian influence was strong. For instance, in the 14th century, there are references to a family of nobles named Nagy in the territory of modern-day Slovakia.

One of the most notable historical figures with the surname NAGY was János Nagy, a Hungarian military leader who played a crucial role in the Long War against the Ottoman Empire in the late 16th century. He was born around 1540 and was renowned for his strategic brilliance and bravery in battles against the Turkish forces.

Another prominent individual with this surname was Imre Nagy, a Hungarian politician and revolutionary who served as Prime Minister during the Hungarian Revolution of 1956. He was born in 1896 and was executed by the Soviet-backed government in 1958 for his role in the uprising against communist rule.

In the field of literature, Lajos Nagy was a celebrated Hungarian poet and novelist who lived from 1857 to 1915. His works, such as the novel "The Black House" and the poetry collection "Lyrics and Epigrams," explored themes of rural life and social injustice.

Gergely Nagy, born in 1977, is a contemporary Hungarian artist known for his large-scale installations and sculptures. His work has been exhibited in major museums and galleries around the world, and he is considered one of the leading figures in the Hungarian contemporary art scene.

Lastly, Ferenc Nagy was a Hungarian politician and statesman who served as the Prime Minister of Hungary from 1946 to 1947. He was born in 1903 and played a significant role in the transition of Hungary from a monarchy to a republic after World War II.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Nagy

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

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

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

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