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

Nighswonger, 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 Nighswonger surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Nighswonger in America

Nighswonger is the 52736th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Nighswonger surname appeared 393 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 Nighswonger.

We can also compare 2010 data for Nighswonger 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 Nighswonger

The surname Nighswonger is believed to have originated in Germany during the medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Old German word "nacht," meaning "night," and "schwanger," meaning "pregnant" or "swollen." This combination of words likely referred to a person who was born at night or a midwife who assisted with nighttime births.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Nighswonger can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus, a collection of medieval documents from the region now known as Saxony, dating back to the 12th century. The name appears in various spellings, such as "Nahtschwanger" and "Nahtswanger," reflecting the linguistic evolution of the Germanic languages over time.

In the 15th century, a notable figure named Hans Nighswonger was a prominent merchant and trader in the city of Nuremberg. He is mentioned in several historical records from that period, including the city's trade records and guild documents.

During the 16th century, the name Nighswonger gained recognition in the region of Franconia, where a family of that name owned a substantial estate and vineyards near the town of Würzburg. One member of this family, Johann Nighswonger (1523-1589), was a respected winemaker and served as a councilman in Würzburg.

In the 17th century, the name Nighswonger appeared in various parts of central and southern Germany, as well as in the neighboring regions of Austria and Switzerland. A notable figure from this era was Elisabeth Nighswonger (1637-1712), a midwife renowned for her expertise and compassionate care in the town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber.

As the centuries progressed, the Nighswonger name spread beyond the Germanic regions, with some families migrating to other parts of Europe and eventually to the Americas. One such individual was Johannes Nighswonger (1786-1842), who immigrated to the United States from Bavaria in the early 19th century and settled in Pennsylvania.

These are just a few examples of the rich history and geographical spread of the Nighswonger surname, which has its roots in the medieval German language and culture. Throughout the centuries, individuals bearing this name have made their mark in various fields, from commerce and winemaking to midwifery and exploration.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Nighswonger

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

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

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

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