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

Nyiri, 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 Nyiri surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Nyiri in America

Nyiri is the 105600th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Nyiri surname appeared 169 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 Nyiri.

We can also compare 2010 data for Nyiri 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 Nyiri

The surname NYIRI originated in Hungary and has a long history dating back to the Middle Ages. It is believed to be derived from the Hungarian word "nyir," which means "birch tree." This suggests that the name may have been initially given to someone who lived near a birch tree or a forest of birch trees.

The earliest recorded instances of the NYIRI surname can be traced back to the 13th century in various Hungarian records and documents. One notable example is a record from 1289 that mentions a person named Petrus Nyiri, indicating that the name was already in use during that time.

In the 14th century, the NYIRI surname appeared in several place names, such as Nyíregyháza and Nyírbátor, which are towns in present-day northeastern Hungary. These place names likely originated from the same root word as the surname, further reinforcing the connection between the name and the birch tree.

During the 15th and 16th centuries, the NYIRI surname became more widespread across Hungary, and several notable individuals bearing this name emerged. One such person was Mihály Nyiri (1460-1530), a Hungarian nobleman and military commander who fought in various campaigns against the Ottoman Empire.

In the 17th century, the NYIRI surname gained prominence in the field of literature. János Nyiri (1620-1687) was a renowned Hungarian poet and writer who authored several works that explored themes of patriotism and national identity.

Another influential figure with the NYIRI surname was Sándor Nyiri (1776-1838), a Hungarian politician and diplomat who played a significant role in the country's independence movement during the 19th century.

Throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, the NYIRI surname continued to be widely used across Hungary, and several individuals bearing this name made notable contributions in various fields, including science, education, and the arts.

One such individual was Kristóf Nyiri (1792-1868), a Hungarian mathematician and educator who made significant contributions to the development of modern mathematics education in Hungary.

In the 20th century, the NYIRI surname gained international recognition through the work of László Nyiri (1905-1978), a Hungarian-born American cinematographer who worked on several notable Hollywood films, including "Judgment at Nuremberg" and "The Shoes of the Fisherman."

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Nyiri

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

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

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

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