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

Nygaard, 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 Nygaard surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Nygaard in America

Nygaard is the 11443rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Nygaard surname appeared 2,752 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Nygaard.

We can also compare 2010 data for Nygaard 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 Nygaard

The surname Nygaard originated in Norway and is a locational name referring to someone from a new or recently established farm or settlement. It is derived from the Old Norse words "ny," meaning new, and "gardr," meaning an enclosed or fortified place.

Nygaard was first recorded in the early 13th century in various Norwegian records and historical documents. One of the earliest known references to the name is found in the Diplomatarium Norvegicum, a collection of medieval Norwegian diplomas and legal documents, dated around 1230.

In the 14th century, the name appeared in several Norwegian church records and land registers, indicating that individuals bearing the surname Nygaard were landowners or farmers. Some variations in spelling were common during this period, including Nygord, Nygard, and Nygaard.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Nygaard name was associated with several prominent individuals in Norway. Prominent early bearers of the name include Arne Nygaard (1515-1587), a Norwegian nobleman and landowner, and Ingrid Nygaard (1568-1642), a renowned herbalist and healer from Bergen.

In the 18th century, the Nygaard name spread beyond Norway as some individuals emigrated to other parts of Scandinavia and Europe. One notable figure was Hans Nygaard (1732-1802), a Danish shipbuilder and naval architect who designed several warships for the Danish Navy.

As the 19th century dawned, the Nygaard name continued to be found in various Norwegian records and chronicles. Two notable individuals from this period were Niels Nygaard (1810-1879), a Norwegian politician and member of the Storting (Norwegian parliament), and Olaf Nygaard (1841-1912), a Norwegian-American Lutheran minister and educator who founded several Lutheran colleges in the United States.

During the 20th century, the Nygaard name became more widely dispersed due to increased migration and globalization. Some notable bearers of the name from this period include Edvard Nygaard (1892-1964), a Norwegian author and poet, and Nils Nygaard (1934-2012), a Norwegian economist and professor at the University of Oslo.

Throughout its history, the Nygaard surname has been borne by individuals from various walks of life, including landowners, farmers, noblemen, artisans, politicians, educators, and professionals, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and contributions of those who have carried this name.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Nygaard

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

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

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

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