2000
#10,022
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,967
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.10
Rare Last name
Nadler
A German and Jewish (Ashkenazic) occupational surname referring to a tailor, from Middle High German "nadel" meaning needle.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,102 Americans carry the last name Nadler. That puts it at #11,183 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.90 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 110,495 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Nadler surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
3.1K
1 in 110,495
Census rank
#11,183
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.7K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,705 bearers of the surname Nadler in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.90 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 11183rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Nadler, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and Two or More Races (2.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Nadler
The surname Nadler is of German origin, first appearing in the late Middle Ages around the 12th century. It is derived from the German word "Nadler," which means "needle maker" or "needle seller." This occupational name was likely given to individuals who were involved in the production or sale of needles, which were essential tools for sewing and embroidery.
The name Nadler can be traced back to various regions in Germany, including Bavaria, Saxony, and Silesia. It was also found in parts of Austria and Switzerland. In medieval records, the name appeared with different spellings, such as Nadler, Nadeler, and Nädler.
One of the earliest documented references to the name Nadler can be found in the "Codex Diplomaticus Silesiae," a collection of historical documents from Silesia, dating back to the 13th century. This record mentions a person named "Conradus Nadeler," indicating the presence of the name in that region during that time period.
In the 14th century, a notable figure named Hans Nadler was mentioned in the city records of Nuremberg, Germany. He was a prominent merchant and guild member involved in the textile trade, which aligns with the occupational meaning of the surname.
During the Renaissance era, a scholar and humanist named Johannes Nadler (1510-1567) gained recognition for his contributions to education and literature. He was born in Esslingen, Germany, and served as a rector at various schools in Württemberg.
Another individual named Johann Nadler (1637-1696) made a significant impact in the field of astronomy. Born in Prague, he was a Jesuit astronomer and mathematician who worked at the renowned Clementinum observatory.
In the 18th century, a German composer and organist named Sebastian Nadler (1715-1789) gained prominence for his sacred music compositions. He was born in Neunkirchen and served as the court organist in Bamberg, Germany.
Throughout history, the surname Nadler has also been associated with various place names, such as Nadlersdorf and Nadlerberg, which are located in Austria and Germany, respectively. These toponyms further reinforce the connection between the surname and the occupation of needle making or selling.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Nadler
Among Census respondents with the surname Nadler, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and Two or More Races (2.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Nadler bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Nadler surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.3% · 2,523
- Hispanic or Latino3.3% · 89
- Two or more races2.1% · 57
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 19
- Black or African American0.5% · 14
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Nadler
Nadler appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#10,563
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,034
+67 bearers (+2.3%)
Per 100,000 1.03
Rank movement Down 541 places
2020
#11,183
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,705
-329 bearers (-10.8%)
Per 100,000 0.90
Rank movement Down 620 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #10,022 | 2,967 | 1.10 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,563 | 3,034 | 1.03 | +67 bearers (+2.3%) | Down 541 places |
| 2020 | #11,183 | 2,705 | 0.90 | -329 bearers (-10.8%) | Down 620 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Nadler surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #10,563 | #11,183 | -5.9% |
| Count | 3,034 | 2,705 | -10.8% |
| Per 100K | 1.03 | 0.90 | -12.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Nadler bearers went from 3,034 to 2,705 (-10.8% change). The surname moved down 620 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,563 to #11,183.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Nadler
FAQ
Nadler surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Nadler?
Name Census estimates that about 3,102 living Americans carry the surname Nadler. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 110,495 residents.
How common is Nadler?
Nadler ranks #11,183 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.90 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,705 people with the surname Nadler. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,102), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.9 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.90 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Nadler.
Has Nadler become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Nadler went from 3,034 recorded bearers to 2,705. That is a decrease of 329 (-10.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #10,563 to #11,183.
What does the Census say about the background of Nadler?
Among Census respondents with the surname Nadler, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and Two or More Races (2.1%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Nadler in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.3% (2,523 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Nadler appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.3%), Hispanic (3.3%), Two or More Races (2.1%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Nadler (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Nadler mean?
A German and Jewish (Ashkenazic) occupational surname referring to a tailor, from Middle High German "nadel" meaning needle. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Nadler (0.90 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many Americans have the surname Nadler?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.