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

Niesen, 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 Niesen surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Niesen in America

Niesen is the 19628th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Niesen surname appeared 1,374 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 Niesen.

We can also compare 2010 data for Niesen 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 Niesen

The surname NIESEN originated in Germany, with the earliest known records dating back to the late 15th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old German word "niesen," meaning "to sneeze." This surname was likely initially given as a nickname or descriptive name to someone who frequently sneezed or had a habit of sneezing.

NIESEN is considered a locational surname, suggesting that it may have originated from a specific place or region. Some historians suggest it could be linked to the town of Niesen in the Swiss canton of Bern, located near the famous Niesen mountain. However, the direct connection between the surname and this particular location remains uncertain.

One of the earliest known references to the NIESEN surname can be found in the church records of Darmstadt, Germany, from the year 1482, where a certain "Johannes Niesen" is mentioned. In the 16th century, the name appeared in various forms, such as "Nysen," "Nissen," and "Nyessen," reflecting regional variations in spelling and pronunciation.

Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the NIESEN surname. In the 17th century, Hans Niesen (1572-1637) was a German composer and organist known for his contributions to the development of the chorale prelude. Another prominent figure was Johann Niesen (1623-1688), a German theologian and philosopher who served as a professor at the University of Rinteln.

Moving forward to the 19th century, Carl Niesen (1810-1876) was a German-American artist and lithographer who was particularly renowned for his landscape paintings of the American West. Around the same time, August Niesen (1839-1912) was a German architect and urban planner who designed several notable buildings in Berlin, including the Reichsbank.

In the 20th century, Ernst Niesen (1918-1995) was a German politician and member of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party, serving as a member of the Bundestag (German parliament) from 1965 to 1983.

While these are just a few examples of individuals with the NIESEN surname throughout history, it is clear that this name has a rich and varied heritage, reflecting its German origins and potential connections to various locations and professions.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Niesen

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

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

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

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