2000
#12,549
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,265
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.84
Rare Last name
Nanney
Derived from the Welsh given name Ynyr, meaning "honor" or "honorable," or from a place name meaning "valley."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,420 Americans carry the last name Nanney. That puts it at #13,739 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.71 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 141,634 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Nanney 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
2.4K
1 in 141,634
Census rank
#13,739
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,110 bearers of the surname Nanney in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.71 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13739th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Nanney, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.1%) and Hispanic (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Nanney
The surname Nanney has its origins in England, tracing back to the 12th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old French word "nanon," which means "little dwarf." This name was likely given as a nickname to someone of small stature.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1191, where a person named Richard Nanon is mentioned. This document provides evidence of the name's existence during the medieval period.
In the 13th century, the name appeared in various forms, including Nanun, Nanyn, and Nanon, as documented in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1273. This suggests that the name had already begun to evolve and take on different spellings.
The Nanney surname is also associated with the village of Nannau in Merionethshire, Wales. It is possible that some individuals bearing this surname may have originated from this location or had ancestors who resided there.
One of the notable historical figures bearing the Nanney surname was Sir Hugh Nanny (c.1420-1481), a Welsh knight and landowner who served as a member of the Council of the Marches under King Edward IV. He played a significant role in the Wars of the Roses.
Another prominent individual was Robert Nanney (1567-1623), an English clergyman who served as the Archdeacon of Huntingdon and later became the Bishop of Lincoln. He was known for his involvement in religious affairs during the reign of King James I.
In the 17th century, John Nanney (1633-1691) was a notable English lawyer and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Malmesbury. He was involved in various legal and political matters during the latter part of the Stuart period.
Moving forward to the 18th century, we find John Nanney (1728-1804), an English landowner and member of the gentry from Shropshire. He was known for his extensive property holdings and contributions to local affairs.
Lastly, in the 19th century, Edward Nanney (1826-1892) was a British engineer and entrepreneur who played a significant role in the development of the railway industry in India. He was instrumental in the construction of several important rail lines and bridges during the expansion of the Indian railway network.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Nanney
Among Census respondents with the surname Nanney, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.1%) and Hispanic (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Nanney 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 Nanney surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.7% · 1,956
- Two or more races4.1% · 86
- Hispanic or Latino1.8% · 37
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 16
- Black or African American0.5% · 10
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.2% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Nanney
Nanney 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
#13,370
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,279
+14 bearers (+0.6%)
Per 100,000 0.77
Rank movement Down 821 places
2020
#13,739
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,110
-169 bearers (-7.4%)
Per 100,000 0.71
Rank movement Down 369 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #12,549 | 2,265 | 0.84 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #13,370 | 2,279 | 0.77 | +14 bearers (+0.6%) | Down 821 places |
| 2020 | #13,739 | 2,110 | 0.71 | -169 bearers (-7.4%) | Down 369 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 Nanney 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 | #13,370 | #13,739 | -2.8% |
| Count | 2,279 | 2,110 | -7.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.77 | 0.71 | -8.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Nanney bearers went from 2,279 to 2,110 (-7.4% change). The surname moved down 369 positions in the national ranking, going from #13,370 to #13,739.
FAQ
Nanney surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Nanney?
Name Census estimates that about 2,420 living Americans carry the surname Nanney. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 141,634 residents.
How common is Nanney?
Nanney ranks #13,739 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.71 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 2,110 people with the surname Nanney. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,420), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.71 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.71 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 Nanney.
Has Nanney become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Nanney went from 2,279 recorded bearers to 2,110. That is a decrease of 169 (-7.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #13,370 to #13,739.
What does the Census say about the background of Nanney?
Among Census respondents with the surname Nanney, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.1%) and Hispanic (1.8%). 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 Nanney in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.7% (1,956 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Nanney appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.7%), Two or More Races (4.1%), Hispanic (1.8%). 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 Nanney (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 Nanney mean?
Derived from the Welsh given name Ynyr, meaning "honor" or "honorable," or from a place name meaning "valley." 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 Nanney (0.71 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 common is the surname Nanney?
For a quick modern take, check how many people are called Nanney on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.