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

Nist, 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 Nist surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Nist in America

Nist is the 40554th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Nist surname appeared 539 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 Nist.

We can also compare 2010 data for Nist 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 Nist

The surname NIST is believed to have originated in Germany, with records dating back to the 16th century. It is thought to be a locative name, derived from a place name referring to a settlement or region where the first bearers of the name lived or originated from.

One possible origin of the name NIST is from the Old German word "nist," meaning "nest," suggesting that the name may have been given to someone who lived near a bird's nest or in a secluded, nest-like area. Alternatively, it could be derived from the German word "nieschen," which means "to sneeze," potentially referring to someone with a propensity for sneezing or associated with that action in some way.

Early records of the NIST surname can be found in various German church registers and municipal archives from the 1500s onwards. One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Hans Nist, who was born in the town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Bavaria, in 1567.

During the 17th century, the NIST name appears in several historical documents, including the Kirchenbücher (church records) of the town of Neuwied, located in the state of Rhineland-Palatinate. These records mention individuals such as Johann Nist, born in 1632, and his son, Peter Nist, born in 1668.

In the 18th century, a prominent figure bearing the NIST surname was Johann Michael Nist, a German composer and organist who lived from 1737 to 1795. He was known for his contributions to the development of church music in the region of Hesse.

Another notable NIST was Friedrich Nist, a German politician and lawyer who served as a member of the Reichstag (Imperial Diet) from 1871 to 1874. He was born in 1819 and played a role in the early years of the German Empire.

In the 19th century, the NIST surname can be found in various genealogical records and census documents from German-speaking regions. One example is Johann Georg Nist, a farmer born in 1825 in the village of Niedersteinebach, Rhineland-Palatinate.

As the NIST name spread beyond Germany in later centuries, it can be found in other parts of Europe and eventually in North America, where many German immigrants settled. However, the roots of the surname can be traced back to its German origins and the early bearers who lived in the region during the 16th and 17th centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Nist

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

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

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

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