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

Preminger, 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 Preminger surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Preminger in America

Preminger is the 132206th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Preminger surname appeared 128 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 Preminger.

We can also compare 2010 data for Preminger 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 Preminger

The surname Preminger is of German origin, tracing its roots back to the medieval period. It is believed to have originated in the region of Bavaria, where it was likely derived from the German word "Prem," which referred to a river or stream. This suggests that the name may have initially been a locational surname, indicating that the family lived near a particular river or stream.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Preminger name can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Brandenburgensis, a collection of historical documents from the Margraviate of Brandenburg, dating back to the 13th century. The name appears in various spellings, such as "Preminger," "Premingere," and "Premingerius," indicating the fluidity of surname spellings during that era.

During the 16th century, the Preminger name gained prominence in the city of Nuremberg, which was a center of trade and cultural exchange in the Holy Roman Empire. Records from this period mention several notable individuals bearing the Preminger surname, including Johannes Preminger (1505-1572), a respected merchant and member of the city council.

In the 18th century, the Preminger family expanded its reach beyond Bavaria, with members settling in various regions of Germany and Austria. One notable figure from this era was Georg Preminger (1720-1797), a prominent theologian and author who served as a professor at the University of Vienna.

As the Preminger family continued to grow and disperse throughout Europe, several individuals made significant contributions to various fields. One such individual was Otto Preminger (1905-1986), an Austrian-American film director and producer who is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in Hollywood's Golden Age. His films, including "Laura" (1944) and "Anatomy of a Murder" (1959), explored controversial themes and challenged societal norms.

Another noteworthy Preminger was Aron Preminger (1865-1923), a Russian-born playwright and writer who was active in the Yiddish theater scene in New York City during the early 20th century. His works, such as "The Promised Land" and "The Eternal Wanderer," explored themes of Jewish identity and the immigrant experience.

While the surname Preminger has its roots in medieval Germany, it has since spread across the globe, with bearers of the name making their mark in various fields, from literature and academia to the arts and entertainment industry.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Preminger

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

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

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

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