2000
#7,996
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,834
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.42
Rare Last name
Neale
Derived from the Irish Gaelic "Ó Néill" meaning "descendant of Niall," referring to Niall of the Nine Hostages.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,964 Americans carry the last name Neale. That puts it at #9,078 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.16 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 86,467 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Neale 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 Neale with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.0K
1 in 86,467
Census rank
#9,078
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,457 bearers of the surname Neale in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.16 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9078th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Neale, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.1%. The next largest groups are Black (10.4%) and Hispanic (3.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Neale
The surname Neale originated in England during the medieval period, derived from the Old English word "nealu" or "nea," meaning "near" or "close by." This name likely referred to someone who lived near a particular landmark or location.
The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Neale" and variations such as "Nelle" and "Neele." These entries suggest the name was already well-established in various parts of England by the late 11th century.
One of the earliest notable individuals with this surname was William Neale, a 13th-century English landowner and sheriff of Kent. He is mentioned in historical records from the reign of King Henry III (1216-1272).
Another prominent figure was Thomas Neale (c. 1519-1590), an English Catholic scholar and educator who served as the dean of Peterhouse, Cambridge. He played a significant role in the religious debates of the Elizabethan era.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the surname Neale was particularly associated with the county of Berkshire in southern England. Several place names in this region, such as Neale's Green and Neale's Farm, likely derived from individuals bearing this name.
In the 17th century, John Neale (1593-1677) was a prominent English Puritan clergyman and writer. He served as the chaplain to the English forces during the English Civil War and was a prolific author on religious subjects.
Another notable figure was Walter Neale (1616-1692), an English lawyer and politician who served as the Speaker of the House of Commons from 1675 to 1678. He was a prominent figure during the reign of King Charles II.
The surname Neale has also been associated with several places in England, such as Neale in Cambridgeshire and Neale's Green in Berkshire. These place names likely originated from individuals with the surname who lived or held land in those areas.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Neale
Among Census respondents with the surname Neale, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.1%. The next largest groups are Black (10.4%) and Hispanic (3.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Neale 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 Neale surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White81.1% · 2,802
- Black or African American10.4% · 361
- Hispanic or Latino3.6% · 125
- Two or more races3.4% · 116
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 28
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 25
Timeline
Historical Census data for Neale
Neale 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
#8,599
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,828
-6 bearers (-0.2%)
Per 100,000 1.30
Rank movement Down 603 places
2020
#9,078
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,457
-371 bearers (-9.7%)
Per 100,000 1.16
Rank movement Down 479 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,996 | 3,834 | 1.42 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,599 | 3,828 | 1.30 | -6 bearers (-0.2%) | Down 603 places |
| 2020 | #9,078 | 3,457 | 1.16 | -371 bearers (-9.7%) | Down 479 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 Neale 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 | #8,599 | #9,078 | -5.6% |
| Count | 3,828 | 3,457 | -9.7% |
| Per 100K | 1.30 | 1.16 | -11.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Neale bearers went from 3,828 to 3,457 (-9.7% change). The surname moved down 479 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,599 to #9,078.
FAQ
Neale surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Neale?
Name Census estimates that about 3,964 living Americans carry the surname Neale. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 86,467 residents.
How common is Neale?
Neale ranks #9,078 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.16 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 3,457 people with the surname Neale. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,964), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.16 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.16 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 Neale.
Has Neale become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Neale went from 3,828 recorded bearers to 3,457. That is a decrease of 371 (-9.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #8,599 to #9,078.
What does the Census say about the background of Neale?
Among Census respondents with the surname Neale, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.1%. The next largest groups are Black (10.4%) and Hispanic (3.6%). 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 Neale in the 2020 Census, accounting for 81.1% (2,802 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Neale appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (81.1%), Black (10.4%), Hispanic (3.6%). 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 Neale (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 Neale mean?
Derived from the Irish Gaelic "Ó Néill" meaning "descendant of Niall," referring to Niall of the Nine Hostages. 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 Neale (1.16 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 Neale?
Find out how many people are called Neale on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.