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

Nimitz, 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 Nimitz surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Nimitz in America

Nimitz is the 95955th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Nimitz surname appeared 190 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 Nimitz.

We can also compare 2010 data for Nimitz 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 Nimitz

The surname Nimitz is believed to originate from the German language and can be traced back to the 16th century in the region of Germany known as Saxony. It is thought to have derived from the old German word "nieman," which translates to "no one" or "nobody," possibly referring to a person who lived in a remote or isolated area.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Nimitz can be found in the village of Bennewitz, near Leipzig, in the late 1500s. The name appears in various historical documents and records from this region, with spellings such as Niemitz, Nimitsch, and Nimitz.

In the 17th century, the Nimitz family spread to other parts of Germany, with some members settling in the region of Brandenburg. During this time, the name Nimitz was also associated with certain place names, such as the town of Nimitzsch in Saxony.

Notable individuals with the surname Nimitz include Chester W. Nimitz, a renowned American naval officer who served as the Commander-in-Chief of the Pacific Ocean Areas during World War II. He was born in 1885 and played a crucial role in several pivotal battles, including the Battle of Midway and the Battle of Iwo Jima. He passed away in 1966.

Another prominent figure was Bernhard Nimitz, a German architect and city planner who lived from 1838 to 1904. He was responsible for the design and development of several notable buildings and urban planning projects in Berlin and other German cities during the late 19th century.

In the field of literature, Hans Nimitz (1904-1983) was a German writer and poet known for his works exploring the themes of nature and the human condition. His poetry collections and novels received critical acclaim in Germany during the mid-20th century.

The name Nimitz also appears in historical records from other European countries, suggesting that some members of the family may have migrated or established roots outside of Germany. For example, in the 18th century, there are records of individuals with the surname Nimitz living in the Czech Republic and Austria.

Over the centuries, the surname Nimitz has been carried by individuals from various professions and backgrounds, including artists, scientists, educators, and military personnel, further contributing to its historical significance and global reach.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Nimitz

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

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

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

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