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

Nissenbaum, 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 Nissenbaum surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Nissenbaum in America

Nissenbaum is the 56588th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Nissenbaum surname appeared 361 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 Nissenbaum.

We can also compare 2010 data for Nissenbaum 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 Nissenbaum

The surname Nissenbaum is of German origin and dates back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the German words "nisse" meaning a small goblin or sprite, and "baum" meaning tree. The name likely referred to a location or landmark, perhaps a wooded area believed to be inhabited by sprites or elves.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname Nissenbaum can be found in medieval German records from the 13th and 14th centuries. It appears in various spellings such as Nissenbaum, Nissenbawm, and Nissenbaumbe, reflecting regional dialects and variations in scribal practices.

One notable early reference is in the Codex Diplomaticus Brandenburgensis, a collection of historical documents from the Brandenburg region, which mentions a "Johannes Nissenbaum" in an entry dated 1362. This suggests the name was present in the area during that time period.

In the 15th century, the Nissenbaum name is recorded in the town of Bamberg, Bavaria, with a "Hans Nissenbaum" listed as a resident in 1487. This indicates the name had spread to different parts of Germany by that point.

A prominent figure bearing the Nissenbaum surname was Rabbi Yaakov Nissenbaum (1668-1756), a renowned Talmudic scholar and author from Frankfurt am Main. His works, including commentaries on the Talmud, were widely studied and influential in Jewish communities across Europe.

Another notable Nissenbaum was David Nissenbaum (1790-1858), a German-born artist and printmaker who was active in London during the 19th century. He is known for his etchings and engravings depicting urban scenes and landscapes.

In the 20th century, Sylvan Nissenbaum (1909-1996) was a American mathematician and educator who made significant contributions to the field of computer science. He served as a professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and was involved in the development of early computer systems.

The Nissenbaum name has also been associated with places, such as the village of Nissenbaum in the Eifel region of Germany, which likely derived its name from the surname itself or vice versa.

While the name has its roots in Germany, it has since spread to various parts of the world through migration and diaspora, with Nissenbaums found in countries like the United States, Israel, and others.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Nissenbaum

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

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

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

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