Explore the Family Name Negus
The meaning of Negus
1. English: perhaps from an unrecorded Middle English personal name Nikecus, Nikus (a pet fom of Nicol(e), male or female) + the hypcoristic suffix -cus. See Nick, Nichol. In the modern form of this name, the voicing of /k/ to /g/ may have been encouraged by false association with the word Negus meaning ‘emperor of Ethiopia’ (see 3 below), which appears first in 1594 and 1613 in East Anglian authors as neguz. 2. Romanian (Neguş): from Neguş, a diminutive of the personal name Neagu, a short form of any of various South Slavic personal names composed of the element neg ‘to take care of, to nurse’, e.g. Negomir (Romanian Neagomir). 3. Ethiopian: from the personal name Negus, meaning e.g. ‘king’ in the Amharic language. — Note: Since Ethiopians do not have hereditary surnames, this name was registered as such only after immigration of its bearers to the US.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Negus in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Negus experienced a slight decrease in popularity from 2000 to 2010. In 2000, it ranked 25,908th in terms of prevalence, but dropped to the 26,833rd position by 2010, marking a 3.57% decline. However, the actual count of people bearing this surname saw a minor increase of 1.68%, rising from 891 individuals in 2000 to 906 in 2010. The proportion per 100k also reduced by 6.06% over the decade.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #25,908 | #26,833 | -3.57% |
| Count | 891 | 906 | 1.68% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.33 | 0.31 | -6.06% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Negus
When examining the ethnic identity of those with the Negus surname, according to the Decennial U.S. Census, there were noticeable changes between 2000 and 2010. The largest percentage of Negus-identified individuals were White, accounting for 92.70% in 2000 and decreasing slightly to 89.85% in 2010. The Hispanic segment experienced significant growth of 104.44%, albeit from a small base, increasing from 1.35% to 2.76%. Those identifying as Black or having Asian/Pacific Islander heritage also increased, respectively by 28.29% and 31.34%. Meanwhile, individuals reporting two or more races grew by 21.47%, and American Indian and Alaskan Native representation rose by 11.39%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 92.7% | 89.85% | -3.07% |
| Black | 2.58% | 3.31% | 28.29% |
| Hispanic | 1.35% | 2.76% | 104.44% |
| Two or More Races | 1.91% | 2.32% | 21.47% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.67% | 0.88% | 31.34% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.79% | 0.88% | 11.39% |