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

Neef, 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 Neef surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Neef in America

Neef is the 48628th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Neef surname appeared 434 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 Neef.

We can also compare 2010 data for Neef 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 Neef

The surname Neef originates from the Low German and Dutch languages, and is believed to have its roots in the region of the Netherlands and northern Germany. It is thought to be derived from the Middle Dutch word "neven," which means "nephew" or "cousin." This suggests that the name may have originally been used as a descriptive term for a person's relationship to another family member.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Neef can be found in the 14th century Dutch text "Rijmbijbel" (Rhymed Bible), where it appears as a variant spelling of the word "neven." This provides evidence that the name was already in use as a surname during this time period.

In the 15th century, the name Neef is mentioned in various Dutch and German records, including church registers and municipal documents. For instance, a certain Johannes Neef is listed as a resident of the town of Groningen in the Netherlands in the year 1457.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, as the Dutch Golden Age flourished, the name Neef became more widespread across the Netherlands and neighboring regions. Notable individuals bearing this surname during this time include the Dutch painter and engraver Cornelis Neef (1615-1681), who was renowned for his landscape paintings and etchings.

In the 18th century, the name Neef spread further across Europe, particularly to areas with Dutch and German cultural influence. One prominent figure was the German theologian and philosopher Johann Samuel Neef (1732-1807), who wrote extensively on religious and philosophical topics.

As the Dutch and German populations began to emigrate to other parts of the world in the 19th and early 20th centuries, the surname Neef travelled with them. For example, the American educator and educational reformer Joseph Neef (1770-1854), a disciple of Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi, brought his pedagogical methods to the United States and established several schools.

Other notable individuals with the surname Neef include the Dutch architect and urban planner Cornelis Neef (1917-2003), who played a significant role in rebuilding Rotterdam after World War II, and the German-American painter and sculptor Maximilian Neef (1859-1922), known for his portraits and monumental sculptures.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Neef

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

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

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

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