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

Nienaber, 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 Nienaber surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Nienaber in America

Nienaber is the 25975th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Nienaber surname appeared 945 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 Nienaber.

We can also compare 2010 data for Nienaber 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 Nienaber

The surname NIENABER has its origins in Germany, dating back to the Middle Ages. It is believed to have derived from the Old German words "niun" and "aber," which together meant "nine streams" or "nine waters." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to a person living near nine streams or a place with multiple bodies of water.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name NIENABER can be found in a 13th-century manuscript from the region of Westphalia, where it was spelled "Niunaber." This spelling variation is consistent with the name's proposed Old German roots and provides insight into its ancient origins.

During the 14th century, the NIENABER name appeared in several local records and documents from the towns of Soest and Arnsberg, located in the present-day state of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. These records often listed individuals with variations of the name, such as "Nyenaber" and "Nynaber," indicating the fluidity of spelling during that time.

In the 16th century, a notable figure bearing the NIENABER name was Johann Nienaber, a German theologian and author born in 1519 in Soest. He wrote several influential works on religious topics and was a prominent figure in the Protestant Reformation movement.

Another historical figure associated with the NIENABER surname was Heinrich Nienaber, a German military officer who served in the Thirty Years' War (1618-1648). He was born in 1592 and played a significant role in several battles during the conflict.

In the 18th century, the NIENABER name appeared in the records of the town of Münster, located in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia. One notable individual from this period was Johann Friedrich Nienaber, a respected architect and builder born in 1725. He designed several churches and public buildings in the region, leaving a lasting impact on the local architecture.

Fast-forwarding to the 19th century, the NIENABER surname gained recognition through the work of Wilhelm Nienaber, a German philologist and linguist born in 1845. He specialized in the study of African languages and made significant contributions to the field of linguistics.

Throughout its history, the NIENABER name has maintained strong ties to its German roots, with many individuals bearing this surname hailing from various regions of the country. While its geographic distribution has expanded over time, the name's origins can be traced back to the Middle Ages and the Old German words that gave rise to its unique meaning and significance.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Nienaber

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

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

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

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