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

Nowotny, 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 Nowotny surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Nowotny in America

Nowotny is the 43285th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Nowotny surname appeared 499 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 Nowotny.

We can also compare 2010 data for Nowotny 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 Nowotny

The surname Nowotny originates from Poland, where it first appeared around the 12th century. The name is derived from the Polish word "nowy," meaning "new," and likely referred to someone who had recently arrived in an area or was a newcomer. It may have also indicated that the original bearer lived in a newly established settlement.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the "Kodeks Dyplomatyczny Małopolski" (Diplomatic Codex of Lesser Poland), a collection of medieval documents from the region, which mentions a certain "Nowotne" in the late 13th century. This suggests that the name had already been in use for some time before then.

The name Nowotny is believed to have originated in the areas around the cities of Kraków and Tarnów in southern Poland. Over time, it spread to other parts of the country, and its spelling evolved to include variations such as Nowotny, Nowotni, and Nowotnik.

In the 16th century, a notable figure bearing the name was Jan Nowotny, a Polish nobleman and military leader who fought in the wars against the Teutonic Knights. He was born around 1490 and died in 1555.

Another historical figure was Mikołaj Nowotny, a Polish mathematician and astronomer who lived in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. He was known for his work on celestial mechanics and his contributions to the development of the Gregorian calendar.

In the 19th century, Józef Nowotny (1806-1865) was a Polish writer and journalist who played a significant role in the popularization of Polish literature and the promotion of national identity.

The name Nowotny also has connections to the Czech Republic, where it likely arrived with Polish settlers or migrants. One notable bearer was Václav Nowotny (1894-1958), a Czech architect and urban planner who designed several notable buildings in Prague and other cities.

Finally, in the 20th century, Walter Nowotny (1920-1944) was an Austrian fighter pilot and ace during World War II, credited with over 250 aerial victories before his death in action.

While these are just a few examples, the surname Nowotny has a rich history spanning several centuries and across multiple countries, reflecting the migration and cultural exchange that has shaped the region over time.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Nowotny

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

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

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

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