Explore the Family Name Engineer

The meaning of Engineer

1. Americanized form (translation into English) of southern Italian Ingegnere: occupational name from ingegnere ‘engineer’ (compare 2 below). 2. Indian: occupational name from English engineer ‘one who produces (new) things’. It was coined in 19th-century among Parsis. An established English surname with a similar meaning is Jenner.

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name Engineer in the United States?

The surname "Engineer" has seen a steady increase in popularity in the United States over the decade from 2000 to 2010, according to data based on the Decennial U.S. Census. In 2000, it ranked 70,679 in terms of prevalence among all surnames, but by 2010, it had climbed to 58,337, a change of 17.46%. The total count of individuals with this surname also rose during this time period, moving from 258 to 348, marking an impressive increase of 34.88%. The proportion of people named Engineer per 100,000 population also grew from 0.1 to 0.12, an upward shift of 20%.

20002010Change
Rank#70,679#58,33717.46%
Count25834834.88%
Proportion per 100k0.10.1220%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Engineer

Looking at the ethnic identity of those carrying the surname "Engineer", we again draw upon data from the Decennial U.S. Census. The majority identify as Asian/Pacific Islander, with percentages growing from 81.4% in 2000 to 84.77% in 2010. This represents a rise of 4.14%. The second most common ethnic identity is White at 7.47%, though this shows a decrease of 28.65% from 2000. Those identifying with two or more races make up 4.89%, a drop of 15.83% since 2000. The Hispanic representation rose slightly from 2.33% in 2000 to 2.87% in 2010. There were no individuals who identified as Black or American Indian and Alaskan Native in either year.

20002010Change
Asian/Pacific Islander81.4%84.77%4.14%
White10.47%7.47%-28.65%
Two or More Races5.81%4.89%-15.83%
Hispanic2.33%2.87%23.18%
Black0%0%0%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0%0%0%