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

Nein, 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 Nein surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Nein in America

Nein is the 45412th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Nein surname appeared 471 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 Nein.

We can also compare 2010 data for Nein 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 Nein

The surname "NEIN" is of German origin, tracing its roots back to the Middle Ages. It is believed to have originated as a nickname or descriptive name for someone who frequently used the word "nein," which means "no" in the German language.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname can be found in various historical documents dating back to the 13th and 14th centuries. One notable reference is in the "Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae Regiae," a collection of medieval charters and documents from Saxony, where the name Nein is mentioned in relation to a landowner in the year 1297.

During the Medieval period, the use of descriptive surnames became increasingly common, often reflecting personal characteristics, occupations, or places of origin. The surname Nein likely emerged as a way to identify an individual known for their tendency to say "no" or express disagreement.

One of the earliest recorded bearers of the Nein surname was Johannes Nein, a merchant from the city of Nuremberg who lived in the late 15th century. His name appears in several trade records and guild documents from that time period.

Another notable figure was Hans Nein, a skilled artisan and woodcarver who lived in the town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber in the 16th century. His intricate woodcarvings adorned many churches and homes in the region, and his work is still celebrated today.

In the 17th century, a family by the name of Nein settled in the region of Hesse, where they established themselves as successful farmers and landowners. One member of this family, Jakob Nein, was a prominent figure in the local community and served as a magistrate in the town of Marburg in the late 1600s.

The surname Nein also has connections to various place names and locations throughout Germany. For example, the village of Neinburg in Lower Saxony is believed to have derived its name from an early settler or landowner with the surname Nein.

Other notable individuals with the Nein surname include Wilhelm Nein (1825-1898), a German philosopher and scholar known for his writings on ethics and morality, and Margarethe Nein (1867-1942), a pioneering educator who established several schools for underprivileged children in Berlin.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Nein

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

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

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

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