Seeger last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Seeger

An occupational surname referring to a sawyer or woodcutter, derived from the German word "Säger."

Seeger, 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 Seeger surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Seeger in America

Seeger is the 8013th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Seeger surname appeared 4,129 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 Seeger.

We can also compare 2010 data for Seeger 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.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 8013 7749 3.35%
Count 4,129 3,953 4.36%
Proportion per 100k 1.40 1.47 -4.88%

The history of the last name Seeger

The surname Seeger originated from Germany in the Middle Ages. It is derived from the German word "Sieger," which means "victor" or "conqueror." The name likely referred to an individual who had achieved victory or success in some endeavor, whether military or otherwise.

The earliest known records of the surname Seeger date back to the 13th century, with mentions in various German historical documents and records. For instance, the name appears in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae, a collection of medieval charters and documents from Saxony.

One notable early bearer of the name was Henricus Seeger, a merchant who lived in the city of Nuremberg in the 14th century. His name is recorded in the city's tax records from the year 1349.

The name Seeger is also associated with several place names in Germany, such as Siegerland, a region in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia. This suggests that some individuals may have taken the surname based on their place of origin or residence.

Over the centuries, variations in spelling emerged, including Seger, Segers, and Seeger. These different spellings can be found in various historical records and documents across Europe.

One notable individual with the surname Seeger was Johann Seeger, a German composer and organist who lived from 1645 to 1707. He was renowned for his contributions to baroque music and served as the organist at the court of the Duke of Saxe-Eisenach.

Another prominent figure was Johann Peter Seeger, a German-American immigrant who played a significant role in the American Revolutionary War. Born in 1727, he served as a colonel in the Continental Army and was instrumental in the defense of Fort Stanwix during the Siege of 1777.

In the 19th century, Carl Seeger, a German-American musician and composer, made his mark. Born in 1824, he immigrated to the United States and became known for his contributions to the development of American folk music.

One of the most famous bearers of the Seeger surname in modern times was Pete Seeger, an American folk singer and social activist born in 1919. He was a prominent figure in the American folk music revival and a champion of various social and environmental causes.

Overall, the surname Seeger has a rich history dating back to medieval Germany, with its origins rooted in the concept of victory or success. Over the centuries, individuals bearing this name have made significant contributions across various fields, from music and the arts to military service and social activism.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Seeger

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

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 Seeger was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 95.30% 3,935
Non-Hispanic Black Only 1.07% 44
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only 0.73% 30
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.15% 6
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 1.50% 62
Hispanic Origin 1.26% 52

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 Seeger has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 95.30% 96.56% -1.31%
Black 1.07% 0.81% 27.66%
Asian and Pacific Islander 0.73% (S)% (S)%
American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.15% (S)% (S)%
Two or More Races 1.50% 0.96% 43.90%
Hispanic 1.26% 1.21% 4.05%

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

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

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"Seeger last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on November 22, 2024. http://namecensus.com/last-names/seeger-surname-popularity/.

"Seeger last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/seeger-surname-popularity/. Accessed 22 November, 2024

Seeger last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/seeger-surname-popularity/.

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