2000
#5,963
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,316
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.97
Rare Last name
Nail
An occupational surname for a maker or seller of nails, or a nickname for a tough, unyielding person.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 6,437 Americans carry the last name Nail. That puts it at #5,918 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.88 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 53,248 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Nail 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Nail with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
6.4K
1 in 53,248
Census rank
#5,918
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
5.6K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 5,613 bearers of the surname Nail in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.88 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 5918th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Nail, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.0%) and Hispanic (3.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Nail
The surname NAIL has its origins in the Middle English word "nayl" or "nail," which was derived from the Old English "nægel" meaning a spike or metal fastener. The name likely originated as an occupational surname, referring to a maker or seller of nails in medieval times. This occupation would have been an important one, as nails were essential for construction, carpentry, and other trades.
The surname NAIL is of English origin and can be traced back to the 13th century. It is believed to have first appeared in records from the county of Yorkshire, where many early bearers of the name were concentrated. One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname dates back to 1273, when a William Nayl was mentioned in the Hundred Rolls of Huntingdonshire.
Historical records show that the NAIL surname was also present in other parts of England, such as Norfolk and Suffolk. In the 14th century, a Richard Nayl was mentioned in the Subsidy Rolls of Suffolk in 1327. The name also appeared in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1379, with a reference to a John Nayll.
The NAIL surname has evolved over time, with various spellings appearing in historical documents, such as Nayle, Naill, and Naylle. These variations reflect the differences in pronunciation and spelling conventions of the time.
One notable historical figure with the surname NAIL was Sir Robert Nail (1652-1730), an English lawyer and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for several constituencies, including Thetford and Gatton. Another prominent individual was William Nail (1659-1724), an English clergyman and academic who served as the Provost of King's College, Cambridge.
In the United States, one of the earliest recorded individuals with the NAIL surname was Thomas Nail, who arrived in Virginia in 1636. Another early bearer of the name was John Nail, who settled in Maryland in 1667.
Other notable individuals with the NAIL surname include:
1. Thomas Nail (1799-1873), an English cricketer who played for Sussex County Cricket Club.
2. John Nail (1790-1856), an American politician who served as a United States Representative from Missouri.
3. Isaac Nail (1730-1808), an American surveyor and soldier who fought in the American Revolutionary War.
4. William Nail (1861-1924), an English cricketer who played for Gloucestershire County Cricket Club.
5. George Nail (1858-1934), an American businessman and banker who founded the Nail State Bank in West Virginia.
While the NAIL surname has its roots in an occupational origin, it has since become a well-established family name found across various regions and countries, with a rich history spanning several centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Nail
Among Census respondents with the surname Nail, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.0%) and Hispanic (3.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Nail 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 Nail surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White84.7% · 4,755
- Two or more races5.0% · 283
- Hispanic or Latino3.9% · 219
- Black or African American3.5% · 198
- American Indian and Alaska Native2.2% · 121
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 37
Timeline
Historical Census data for Nail
Nail 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
#4,936
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,133
+1,817 bearers (+34.2%)
Per 100,000 2.42
Rank movement Up 1,027 places
2020
#5,918
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,613
-1,520 bearers (-21.3%)
Per 100,000 1.88
Rank movement Down 982 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #5,963 | 5,316 | 1.97 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #4,936 | 7,133 | 2.42 | +1,817 bearers (+34.2%) | Up 1,027 places |
| 2020 | #5,918 | 5,613 | 1.88 | -1,520 bearers (-21.3%) | Down 982 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 Nail 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 | #4,936 | #5,918 | -19.9% |
| Count | 7,133 | 5,613 | -21.3% |
| Per 100K | 2.42 | 1.88 | -22.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Nail bearers went from 7,133 to 5,613 (-21.3% change). The surname moved down 982 positions in the national ranking, going from #4,936 to #5,918.
FAQ
Nail surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Nail?
Name Census estimates that about 6,437 living Americans carry the surname Nail. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 53,248 residents.
How common is Nail?
Nail ranks #5,918 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.88 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 5,613 people with the surname Nail. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (6,437), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.88 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.88 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Nail.
Has Nail become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Nail went from 7,133 recorded bearers to 5,613. That is a decrease of 1,520 (-21.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #4,936 to #5,918.
What does the Census say about the background of Nail?
Among Census respondents with the surname Nail, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.0%) and Hispanic (3.9%). 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 Nail in the 2020 Census, accounting for 84.7% (4,755 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Nail appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (84.7%), Two or More Races (5.0%), Hispanic (3.9%). 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 Nail (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 Nail mean?
An occupational surname for a maker or seller of nails, or a nickname for a tough, unyielding person. 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 Nail (1.88 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 people share the surname Nail?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.