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

Nitzsche, 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 Nitzsche surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Nitzsche in America

Nitzsche is the 43732nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Nitzsche surname appeared 493 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 Nitzsche.

We can also compare 2010 data for Nitzsche 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 Nitzsche

The surname Nitzsche originated in Germany during the late medieval period, likely emerging around the 13th or 14th century. It is believed to have evolved from the Old German word "nitze," which referred to someone who was considered diligent, industrious, or hard-working. This name may have been initially given as a descriptive nickname to individuals who displayed these traits.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Nitzsche surname can be found in historical documents from the region of Saxony, where it was sometimes spelled as "Nitzsch" or "Nitzsche." In the 16th century, a notable figure bearing this name was Johannes Nitzsche, a Lutheran theologian and scholar born in Wittenberg in 1503 and died in 1572.

During the 17th century, the name Nitzsche appeared in various records from the German principalities and duchies. For example, Hans Nitzsche was a respected craftsman and member of the guild in the city of Leipzig, born around 1620. Another individual, Friedrich Nitzsche, was a prominent merchant and landowner in the town of Erfurt, born in 1675 and died in 1742.

As the Nitzsche family spread across different regions of Germany, the name may have been influenced by local dialects and pronunciations, leading to variations such as "Nitzsche," "Nitsche," or "Nitzsch." In the 19th century, one of the most renowned individuals with this surname was the influential philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche, born in 1844 in Röcken, Prussia, and died in 1900 in Weimar.

Another notable figure was Karl Nitzsche, a German composer and conductor who lived from 1818 to 1880. He was born in Reichenau, Saxony, and is remembered for his contributions to the field of music, particularly his compositions for choir and orchestra.

The Nitzsche surname can also be found in historical records from other parts of Europe, including regions of modern-day Poland and the Czech Republic, where it may have been introduced through migration or cultural exchange. However, its roots and origins remain firmly grounded in the German-speaking regions of Central Europe.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Nitzsche

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

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

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

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