2000
#4,002
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,150
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.02
Rare Last name
Nemeth
A Hungarian occupational surname referring to a person of German origin or one who speaks German.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 8,657 Americans carry the last name Nemeth. That puts it at #4,561 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.53 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 39,593 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Nemeth 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Nemeth with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
8.7K
1 in 39,593
Census rank
#4,561
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
7.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 7,549 bearers of the surname Nemeth in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.53 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4561st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Nemeth, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and Two or More Races (2.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Nemeth
The surname Nemeth has its origins in Hungary. It is derived from the Hungarian word "német," which means "German" or "Germanic." The name likely emerged during the medieval period when the Hungarian kingdom was a diverse melting pot of various ethnic and cultural groups, including German settlers and merchants.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Nemeth can be traced back to a 14th-century document from the town of Buda, which was the capital of the Kingdom of Hungary at the time. The document mentions a certain "Johannes Nemeth," who was a prominent merchant and landowner.
In the 15th century, the name Nemeth appears in several historical records from the region of Transylvania, which was part of the Kingdom of Hungary. These records suggest that the name was particularly common among the German-speaking communities in that area, further reinforcing its Germanic roots.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the name Nemeth became more widespread throughout Hungary, as the country experienced significant political and social changes. One notable figure from this period was István Nemeth (1545-1612), a Hungarian nobleman and military leader who played a crucial role in the Long War against the Ottoman Empire.
In the 18th century, the Nemeth surname gained prominence in the field of arts and literature. János Nemeth (1724-1789) was a renowned Hungarian poet and playwright who contributed significantly to the development of Hungarian literature during the Enlightenment era.
As the 19th century dawned, the Nemeth name continued to be associated with influential individuals. Károly Nemeth (1822-1904) was a prominent Hungarian mathematician and engineer who made groundbreaking contributions to the field of descriptive geometry.
Throughout its history, the surname Nemeth has been spelled in various ways, reflecting the cultural and linguistic diversity of the regions where it was found. Some of the alternative spellings include Németh, Némethy, and Nemet.
While the surname Nemeth is undoubtedly of Hungarian origin, it has also been adopted by families in other parts of Europe and beyond, likely due to migration and cultural exchange over the centuries. Nevertheless, its roots can be traced back to the vibrant tapestry of Hungary's rich history and the enduring legacy of its diverse cultural influences.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Nemeth
Among Census respondents with the surname Nemeth, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and Two or More Races (2.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Nemeth 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 Nemeth surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.4% · 6,974
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 261
- Two or more races2.9% · 217
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 53
- Black or African American0.4% · 32
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 12
Timeline
Historical Census data for Nemeth
Nemeth 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
#4,241
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,362
+212 bearers (+2.6%)
Per 100,000 2.83
Rank movement Down 239 places
2020
#4,561
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,549
-813 bearers (-9.7%)
Per 100,000 2.53
Rank movement Down 320 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,002 | 8,150 | 3.02 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #4,241 | 8,362 | 2.83 | +212 bearers (+2.6%) | Down 239 places |
| 2020 | #4,561 | 7,549 | 2.53 | -813 bearers (-9.7%) | Down 320 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 Nemeth 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 | #4,241 | #4,561 | -7.5% |
| Count | 8,362 | 7,549 | -9.7% |
| Per 100K | 2.83 | 2.53 | -10.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Nemeth bearers went from 8,362 to 7,549 (-9.7% change). The surname moved down 320 positions in the national ranking, going from #4,241 to #4,561.
FAQ
Nemeth surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Nemeth?
Name Census estimates that about 8,657 living Americans carry the surname Nemeth. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 39,593 residents.
How common is Nemeth?
Nemeth ranks #4,561 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.53 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 7,549 people with the surname Nemeth. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (8,657), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.53 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.53 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Nemeth.
Has Nemeth become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Nemeth went from 8,362 recorded bearers to 7,549. That is a decrease of 813 (-9.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #4,241 to #4,561.
What does the Census say about the background of Nemeth?
Among Census respondents with the surname Nemeth, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and Two or More Races (2.9%). 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 Nemeth in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.4% (6,974 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Nemeth appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.4%), Hispanic (3.5%), Two or More Races (2.9%). 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 Nemeth (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 Nemeth mean?
A Hungarian occupational surname referring to a person of German origin or one who speaks German. 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 Nemeth (2.53 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 are called Nemeth?
See how many Americans have the surname Nemeth on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.