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

Nilges, 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 Nilges surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Nilges in America

Nilges is the 49999th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Nilges surname appeared 419 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 Nilges.

We can also compare 2010 data for Nilges 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 Nilges

The surname Nilges originates from Germany, specifically from the northwestern region of the country. It is believed to have emerged sometime around the 12th or 13th century. The name is derived from the Old German word "Nil," which means "valley" or "dell," and the suffix "-ges," which indicates a place of origin or residence.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Nilges can be found in a document from the town of Jülich, dated back to the year 1297. This document mentions a person named Henricus Nilges, who was a landowner in the area. Another early reference to the name is found in a manuscript from the town of Aachen, dated 1341, which mentions a merchant named Johann Nilges.

In the 15th century, there are records of a prominent family named Nilges residing in the town of Münster. One notable member of this family was Dietrich Nilges, who was a respected scholar and theologian born in 1438. He authored several works on theology and philosophy during his lifetime.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Nilges name became more widespread throughout the regions of Westphalia and the Rhineland. In 1562, a man named Hans Nilges is mentioned in the records of the town of Cologne as a master craftsman and guild member.

In the 18th century, a notable figure with the surname Nilges was Johann Peter Nilges, a painter and artist born in 1732 in the town of Düsseldorf. He was known for his landscapes and religious paintings, and his works can be found in various churches and museums across Germany.

Another significant person with the surname Nilges was Clemens Nilges, born in 1809 in the city of Trier. He was a prominent lawyer and politician who served as a member of the Prussian House of Representatives in the mid-19th century.

Throughout history, the Nilges surname has also been associated with various places and settlements in Germany. For instance, there is a village called Nilges near the town of Siegen in North Rhine-Westphalia, which likely derived its name from the surname. Additionally, there are records of families with the surname Nilges residing in towns such as Bonn, Düren, and Euskirchen, among others.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Nilges

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

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

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

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