2000
#11,484
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,515
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.93
Rare Last name
Neace
A surname of English origin, derived from a place name meaning "at the ash tree."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,351 Americans carry the last name Neace. That puts it at #10,481 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.98 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 102,284 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Neace 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
3.4K
1 in 102,284
Census rank
#10,481
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,922 bearers of the surname Neace in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.98 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10481st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Neace, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.0%) and Hispanic (2.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Neace
The surname Neace has its origins in England, with records of the name dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to have originated from the Old English word "nece," meaning a kinsman or relative. The name was likely used as a descriptive term to identify someone closely related to a particular family or clan.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire, a census-like record compiled in 1273. It lists a person named William Neace, indicating the presence of the surname in that region during that time period. Additionally, the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1327 mention a John Neace, further solidifying the name's historical roots in England.
While the name Neace does not appear in the renowned Domesday Book of 1086, it is possible that it evolved from similar-sounding surnames found in that record, such as Nece or Nesse. These names may have been derived from place names or geographic locations, which was a common practice in the formation of surnames during that era.
In the 16th century, the surname Neace appeared in various records, including parish registers and court documents. One notable individual was Robert Neace, born in Staffordshire in 1542, who was a landowner and farmer. Another person of significance was Elizabeth Neace, born in Gloucestershire in 1588, who was a prominent businesswoman and merchant in her local community.
As the centuries progressed, the name Neace continued to be present in various parts of England. In the 18th century, William Neace (1721-1798) was a respected scholar and theologian who authored several books on religious topics. During the same period, Mary Neace (1743-1812) was a notable philanthropist who supported numerous charitable causes in her hometown of Bristol.
In the 19th century, the name Neace gained recognition with the birth of John Neace (1832-1901), a renowned architect who designed several notable buildings in London, including the iconic Neace Hall, which still stands today as a testament to his architectural prowess.
While the surname Neace has its origins in England, it has since spread to various parts of the world due to migration and exploration. However, the historical records and notable individuals mentioned above provide a glimpse into the rich heritage and evolution of this surname over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Neace
Among Census respondents with the surname Neace, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.0%) and Hispanic (2.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Neace 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 Neace surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.3% · 2,697
- Two or more races4.0% · 116
- Hispanic or Latino2.4% · 70
- Black or African American0.8% · 24
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.3% · 8
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 7
Timeline
Historical Census data for Neace
Neace 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
#10,964
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,901
+386 bearers (+15.3%)
Per 100,000 0.98
Rank movement Up 520 places
2020
#10,481
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,922
+21 bearers (+0.7%)
Per 100,000 0.98
Rank movement Up 483 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #11,484 | 2,515 | 0.93 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,964 | 2,901 | 0.98 | +386 bearers (+15.3%) | Up 520 places |
| 2020 | #10,481 | 2,922 | 0.98 | +21 bearers (+0.7%) | Up 483 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 Neace 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 | #10,964 | #10,481 | 4.4% |
| Count | 2,901 | 2,922 | 0.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.98 | 0.98 | -0.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Neace bearers went from 2,901 to 2,922 (+0.7% change). The surname moved up 483 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,964 to #10,481.
FAQ
Neace surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Neace?
Name Census estimates that about 3,351 living Americans carry the surname Neace. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 102,284 residents.
How common is Neace?
Neace ranks #10,481 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.98 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 2,922 people with the surname Neace. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,351), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.98 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.98 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 Neace.
Has Neace become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Neace went from 2,901 recorded bearers to 2,922. That is an increase of 21 (+0.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #10,964 to #10,481.
What does the Census say about the background of Neace?
Among Census respondents with the surname Neace, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.0%) and Hispanic (2.4%). 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 Neace in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.3% (2,697 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Neace appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.3%), Two or More Races (4.0%), Hispanic (2.4%). 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 Neace (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 Neace mean?
A surname of English origin, derived from a place name meaning "at the ash tree." 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 Neace (0.98 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 have the surname Neace?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.