2000
#131,366
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Nebenzahl
A German surname derived from the word "neben" meaning "beside" and "Zahl" meaning "number", possibly relating to an occupation or residence.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 119 Americans carry the last name Nebenzahl. That puts it at #153,590 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,880,289 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Nebenzahl surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
119
1 in 2,880,289
Census rank
#153,590
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
104
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 104 bearers of the surname Nebenzahl in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 153590th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Nebenzahl, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.2%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (1.9%) and Two or More Races (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Nebenzahl
The surname "NEBENZAHL" is of German origin and dates back to the Middle Ages. It is believed to have originated from a place name or a descriptive term related to a specific location or topographical feature. The name is likely derived from the German words "neben" meaning "beside" or "next to," and "Zahl" meaning "number" or "count."
One possible explanation for the name's origin is that it referred to a person who lived next to a specific landmark or counted something, such as livestock or crops. Alternatively, the name could have been given to someone who lived in a particular area or village with a name that contained these elements.
While there are no known historical references to the name "NEBENZAHL" in major ancient texts or manuscripts like the Domesday Book, records from the 16th and 17th centuries in various German regions show instances of the name being used.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname "NEBENZAHL" was Johann Nebenzahl, a merchant born in the city of Hamburg, Germany, in 1612. He was known for his successful trading business and his involvement in local affairs.
Another notable figure was Christoph Nebenzahl, a German composer and musician who lived in the late 17th century. He was renowned for his contributions to the development of Baroque music and his compositions for various instruments.
In the 19th century, Friedrich Nebenzahl (1805-1879) was a German philosopher and writer who published several works on ethics and metaphysics. His ideas influenced the intellectual discourse of his time.
During the early 20th century, Max Nebenzahl (1884-1963) was a prominent German film producer and director. He was known for his contributions to the German film industry and his work in producing some of the earliest sound films in the country.
Another notable figure was Gerhard Nebenzahl (1901-1979), a German-born American engineer and businessman. He played a significant role in the development of the aerospace industry and was involved in several pioneering projects related to rocket and missile technology.
It is worth noting that while the surname "NEBENZAHL" is primarily associated with German origins, it has spread to other parts of the world through migration and diaspora. However, the specific details and historical references provided here focus on the name's German roots and its early recorded instances in that region.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Nebenzahl
Among Census respondents with the surname Nebenzahl, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.2%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (1.9%) and Two or More Races (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Nebenzahl bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Nebenzahl surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White96.2% · 100
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.9% · 2
- Two or more races1.9% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Nebenzahl
Nebenzahl appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#138,304
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
+2 bearers (+1.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 6,938 places
2020
#153,590
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
-17 bearers (-14.0%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 15,286 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #131,366 | 119 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #138,304 | 121 | 0.04 | +2 bearers (+1.7%) | Down 6,938 places |
| 2020 | #153,590 | 104 | 0.03 | -17 bearers (-14.0%) | Down 15,286 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Nebenzahl surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #138,304 | #153,590 | -11.1% |
| Count | 121 | 104 | -14.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -13.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Nebenzahl bearers went from 121 to 104 (-14.0% change). The surname moved down 15,286 positions in the national ranking, going from #138,304 to #153,590.
FAQ
Nebenzahl surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Nebenzahl?
Name Census estimates that about 119 living Americans carry the surname Nebenzahl. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,880,289 residents.
How common is Nebenzahl?
Nebenzahl ranks #153,590 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 104 people with the surname Nebenzahl. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (119), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Nebenzahl.
Has Nebenzahl become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Nebenzahl went from 121 recorded bearers to 104. That is a decrease of 17 (-14.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #138,304 to #153,590.
What does the Census say about the background of Nebenzahl?
Among Census respondents with the surname Nebenzahl, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.2%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (1.9%) and Two or More Races (1.9%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Nebenzahl in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.2% (100 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Nebenzahl appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (96.2%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.9%), Two or More Races (1.9%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Nebenzahl (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Nebenzahl mean?
A German surname derived from the word "neben" meaning "beside" and "Zahl" meaning "number", possibly relating to an occupation or residence. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Nebenzahl (0.03 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the last name Nebenzahl?
If you just want to know how many people have the last name Nebenzahl, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.