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

Nirenberg, 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 Nirenberg surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Nirenberg in America

Nirenberg is the 53419th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Nirenberg surname appeared 387 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 Nirenberg.

We can also compare 2010 data for Nirenberg 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 Nirenberg

The surname NIRENBERG originated in the German-speaking regions of Europe, likely in the late medieval period or the early modern era. It is believed to have derived from the German word "Nirn," which means "kidney," combined with the suffix "-berg," meaning "mountain" or "hill." This suggests that the name may have originated as a topographic name, referring to a person who lived near a kidney-shaped hill or mountain.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the NIRENBERG surname can be found in the archives of the city of Nuremberg, Germany, dating back to the 16th century. This suggests that the name may have originated in or around the Nuremberg region. However, the name also appears in various other German-speaking areas, indicating its widespread use across multiple regions.

In the 17th century, the NIRENBERG name is mentioned in several historical documents, including land records and tax registers in the Palatinate region of Germany. This suggests that the family had established roots and owned property in this area during that time period.

One notable individual bearing the NIRENBERG surname was Johann Nirenberg, a German physician and botanist who lived in the late 17th century. He authored several works on medicinal plants and their applications in traditional medicine. Another prominent figure was Karl Nirenberg, a German jurist and legal scholar who was born in 1818 and made significant contributions to the field of civil law.

In the 19th century, the NIRENBERG name gained recognition through the work of Max Nirenberg, a German-born mathematician who made significant contributions to the field of functional analysis. He was born in 1866 and his work laid the foundation for modern abstract analysis.

Another individual of note was Lilli Nirenberg, a German-Jewish artist and sculptor who was born in 1892. Despite facing persecution during the Nazi regime, she continued to create powerful and poignant works that addressed themes of oppression and resilience.

As the NIRENBERG family migrated to other parts of Europe and beyond, the name underwent various spelling variations, such as Nirnberg, Nirenberger, and Nirenberger. These variations reflect the linguistic and cultural influences of the regions where the family settled.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Nirenberg

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

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

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

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