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

Neitzke, 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 Neitzke surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Neitzke in America

Neitzke is the 33036th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Neitzke surname appeared 693 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 Neitzke.

We can also compare 2010 data for Neitzke 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 Neitzke

The surname NEITZKE is believed to have originated from the German region of Silesia, which is now part of modern-day Poland and Germany. The name likely dates back to the Middle Ages, around the 13th or 14th century. It is derived from the German word "Nitz," which means "valley" or "lowland," and the suffix "-ke," which is a diminutive form indicating a smaller or lesser entity.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the NEITZKE name can be found in the Silesian archives, where a document from 1435 references a "Hans Neitzke" residing in the town of Breslau (now Wrocław, Poland). This suggests that the name was already established in the region by the early 15th century.

The NEITZKE name has also been linked to various place names in Silesia, such as the village of Nitzke (now Niecka, Poland) or the town of Neitzendorf (now Nieciszów, Poland). These place names likely derived from the same root word "Nitz," indicating that the surname may have originated from people who lived in or near these valley or lowland areas.

One notable individual with the NEITZKE surname was Johann Gottlieb Neitzke (1720-1797), a German theologian and philosopher who served as a professor at the University of Königsberg (now Kaliningrad, Russia). He was known for his work on natural theology and ethics.

In the 19th century, a prominent figure with the NEITZKE name was Otto Neitzke (1848-1922), a German historian and educator who wrote extensively on the history of Silesia and served as the director of the Silesian Provincial Archive in Breslau.

Another individual of note was Erich Neitzke (1892-1945), a German military officer who served in both World War I and World War II, rising to the rank of General der Artillerie in the Wehrmacht.

In more recent times, one of the most well-known individuals with the NEITZKE surname was Gerhard Neitzke (1932-2012), a German-American painter and sculptor who gained recognition for his abstract and minimalist works. He taught at various universities in the United States and had his work featured in numerous exhibitions and collections.

While the NEITZKE name has its roots in the German-speaking regions of Silesia, it has since spread to other parts of Europe and beyond, carried by individuals and families who emigrated from the area over the centuries. The name has also undergone various spelling variations, such as Neitzki, Nitzke, and Neitschke, but the core meaning and origin remain tied to the valley or lowland regions of its Silesian heritage.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Neitzke

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

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

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

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