2000
#49,159
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 402
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.15
Very Rare Last name
Nierenberg
A habitational name from a place called Nierenberg, near Annaberg in Germany.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 477 Americans carry the last name Nierenberg. That puts it at #53,634 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.14 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 718,563 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Nierenberg 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.
Bearers in the US
477
1 in 718,563
Census rank
#53,634
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
416
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 416 bearers of the surname Nierenberg in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.14 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 53634th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Nierenberg, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Nierenberg
The surname Nierenberg originates from Germany, with the earliest recorded instances dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to be derived from the German word "Nierenbach," which translates to "kidney stream" or "kidney brook." This likely refers to a geographical feature or location where the name first emerged.
One of the earliest known mentions of the Nierenberg name can be found in the records of the city of Nuremberg, where a certain Johann Nierenberg was documented as a resident in the year 1572. Another early reference comes from the town of Bamberg, where a Hans Nierenberg was listed in a tax record from 1589.
During the 17th century, the name appears to have spread throughout various regions of Germany, with records showing Nierenbergs residing in cities like Frankfurt, Cologne, and Dresden. Variations in spelling, such as Nierenburg, Nierenbach, and Nierenberch, were also common during this period.
One notable individual bearing the Nierenberg name was Johann Eusebius Nierenberg, a Jesuit priest and prolific writer who lived from 1595 to 1658. He authored numerous works on theological and philosophical subjects, with his most famous being the multi-volume treatise "De adoratione in spiritu et veritate" (On Adoration in Spirit and Truth).
Another significant figure was Karl August Nierenberg, a German military officer who served in the Prussian Army during the Napoleonic Wars. Born in 1784, he participated in several major battles, including Jena-Auerstedt and the Battle of Leipzig, before retiring with the rank of Major General in 1828.
In the 19th century, the Nierenberg name continued to appear in various parts of Germany, with some individuals emigrating to other countries. One such example is Heinrich Nierenberg, who was born in Hanover in 1823 and later moved to the United States, settling in Wisconsin.
Another notable individual was Amalie Nierenberg, a German novelist and poet who lived from 1838 to 1912. She published several works of fiction, including the novel "Zwischen Himmel und Erde" (Between Heaven and Earth), which explored themes of love, family, and social issues of her time.
As the centuries progressed, the Nierenberg name continued to spread globally, with descendants settling in various parts of Europe, North America, and beyond. While the exact origins and meanings of many surnames can be difficult to pinpoint with certainty, the Nierenberg name remains a testament to the rich cultural and historical tapestry woven by the movement and settlement of people throughout the ages.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Nierenberg
Among Census respondents with the surname Nierenberg, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Nierenberg 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 Nierenberg surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White96.4% · 401
- Hispanic or Latino2.9% · 12
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 2
- Two or more races0.2% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Nierenberg
Nierenberg 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
#51,396
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 405
+3 bearers (+0.7%)
Per 100,000 0.14
Rank movement Down 2,237 places
2020
#53,634
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 416
+11 bearers (+2.7%)
Per 100,000 0.14
Rank movement Down 2,238 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #49,159 | 402 | 0.15 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #51,396 | 405 | 0.14 | +3 bearers (+0.7%) | Down 2,237 places |
| 2020 | #53,634 | 416 | 0.14 | +11 bearers (+2.7%) | Down 2,238 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 Nierenberg 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 | #51,396 | #53,634 | -4.4% |
| Count | 405 | 416 | 2.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.14 | 0.14 | -0.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Nierenberg bearers went from 405 to 416 (+2.7% change). The surname moved down 2,238 positions in the national ranking, going from #51,396 to #53,634.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Nierenberg
FAQ
Nierenberg surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Nierenberg?
Name Census estimates that about 477 living Americans carry the surname Nierenberg. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 718,563 residents.
How common is Nierenberg?
Nierenberg ranks #53,634 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.14 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 416 people with the surname Nierenberg. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (477), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.14 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.14 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Nierenberg.
Has Nierenberg become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Nierenberg went from 405 recorded bearers to 416. That is an increase of 11 (+2.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #51,396 to #53,634.
What does the Census say about the background of Nierenberg?
Among Census respondents with the surname Nierenberg, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.5%). 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 Nierenberg in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.4% (401 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Nierenberg appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (96.4%), Hispanic (2.9%), Asian/Pacific Islander (0.5%). 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 Nierenberg (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 Nierenberg mean?
A habitational name from a place called Nierenberg, near Annaberg in Germany. 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 Nierenberg (0.14 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 have the last name Nierenberg?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the surname Nierenberg on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.