Niehues


Niehues is a German toponymic surname, i.e. it has its source in the type of residence the family lived in.

Etymology and pronunciation

The name Niehues etymologically comes from West Low German dialects, being a compound word meaning "new house".
The pronunciation of the name does not entirely follow High German pronunciation rules. The second vowel sound is written like the alternative High German spelling of an umlaut-ü sound, but it is pronounced like a normal u sound.
Due to the non-standard German origin of the name, it is often misspelled or mispronounced even by Germans, if they are unfamiliar with the dialect.

Origin and distribution

In today's Germany, the name Niehues can be found mostly in the regions where the Westphalian dialect is or was spoken, predominantly in the adjacent cities and districts Münster, Coesfeld, Steinfurt, Recklinghausen, Borken and Unna in the northwest of Germany close to the border of the Netherlands.
Outside of Germany, families named Niehues settled especially in the United States and in Brazil.

Geographical distribution

As of 2014, 60.8% of all known bearers of the surname Niehues were residents of Germany, 31.7% of Brazil and 5.8% of the United States.
In Germany, the frequency of the surname was higher than national average in the following states:
In Brazil, the frequency of the surname was higher than national average in the following states:
In Germany, some place names are derived from farms bearing the owner's name, for example Niehues near Nottuln. Also streets have been named after people named Niehues in Germany, the Netherlands and Brazil, and Rua Antonio Niehues in.