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

Nies, 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 Nies surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Nies in America

Nies is the 13171st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Nies surname appeared 2,321 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Nies.

We can also compare 2010 data for Nies 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 Nies

The surname NIES is of German origin, with roots dating back to the Middle Ages. It is believed to have originated from the region of Rhineland-Palatinate, which was once known as the Palatinate of the Rhine.

The name NIES is thought to be derived from the Old German word "niuwe," meaning "new" or "newcomer." This suggests that the name may have been given to someone who had recently arrived in a particular area or settlement.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name NIES can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Rheno-Mosellanus, a collection of historical documents from the Rhineland region, dating back to the 12th century. The name appears in several documents from this period, indicating its presence in the region during the Middle Ages.

In the 14th century, a nobleman named Johann NIES was mentioned in a charter from the city of Mainz, which was part of the Palatinate of the Rhine. This historical reference provides evidence of the name's usage among the nobility during that time.

Another notable person with the surname NIES was Konrad NIES, a German theologian and philosopher who lived from 1505 to 1581. He was a prominent figure in the Protestant Reformation and served as a professor at the University of Heidelberg.

In the 17th century, a German cartographer named Johann Baptist NIES (1615-1688) gained recognition for his detailed maps of the Palatinate region. His work contributed significantly to the development of cartography and geographical knowledge during that era.

The surname NIES also appears in connection with several place names in Germany, such as Nieskerkchen, a small village in the Eifel region, and Niesbach, a stream that flows through the town of Bingen am Rhein. These place names may have influenced the spread and usage of the surname in different parts of the country.

Other notable individuals with the surname NIES include Johann Peter NIES (1802-1880), a German painter and lithographer known for his landscape paintings, and Friedrich NIES (1831-1905), a German architect who designed several notable buildings in Cologne and other cities in the Rhineland region.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Nies

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

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

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

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