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

Suhr, 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 Suhr surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Suhr in America

Suhr is the 11572nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Suhr surname appeared 2,717 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 Suhr.

We can also compare 2010 data for Suhr 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 Suhr

The surname SUHR is of German origin, originating in the region of Westphalia, which is now part of modern-day North Rhine-Westphalia in northwestern Germany. The name can be traced back to the early 13th century, when it was likely derived from the old Germanic word "suhri," which means "swine-herd" or "swineherd."

SUHR is believed to have originated as an occupational surname, referring to individuals who were employed as swineherds or those who tended to and managed herds of swine. This occupation was particularly common in rural areas, where pig farming was a significant part of the agricultural economy.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name SUHR can be found in the Westphalian Saalbuch (Rent Book) of 1295, which documented land transactions and tenant names in the region. The name is also mentioned in various medieval tax records and local court documents from the 14th and 15th centuries.

During the Middle Ages, the name SUHR was primarily concentrated in the regions of Westphalia and Lower Saxony, but over time, it spread to other parts of Germany and neighboring countries as people migrated and settled in new areas.

Notable individuals with the surname SUHR throughout history include:

1. Johann Suhr (1525-1589), a German Protestant theologian and reformer who played a significant role in the Protestant Reformation in Westphalia.

2. Johann Gottfried Suhr (1690-1758), a German baroque composer and organist, known for his church music compositions.

3. Friedrich Suhr (1770-1835), a German painter and illustrator renowned for his landscapes and genre paintings.

4. Johann Nikolaus von Suhr (1781-1848), a Prussian military officer and statesman who served as the Governor of Silesia from 1837 to 1848.

5. Johann Andreas Benignus Bergius Suhr (1827-1889), a Danish botanist and mycologist who made significant contributions to the study of algae and fungi.

The name SUHR has also been associated with various place names throughout Germany, such as Suhrau (now part of Bochum) and Suhrmühle (a mill near Arnsberg), further cementing its historical roots in the region.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Suhr

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

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

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

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