2010
#157,234
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.03
Very Rare Last name
Nearon
A surname derived from an Irish placename referring to a near or nearby town.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 116 Americans carry the last name Nearon. That puts it at #155,270 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,954,779 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Nearon 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
116
1 in 2,954,779
Census rank
#155,270
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
101
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 101 bearers of the surname Nearon in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 155270th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Nearon, the largest self-reported group is White at 69.3%. The next largest groups are Black (13.9%) and Hispanic (13.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Nearon
The surname Nearon is believed to have originated in Ireland, with roots dating back to the 12th century. It is thought to be an anglicized version of the Gaelic name "Ó Niadháin," which means "descendant of Niadhán." Niadhán was a personal name derived from the Irish word "niadh," meaning "warrior" or "champion."
The earliest recorded instances of the Nearon surname can be found in ancient Irish annals and manuscripts, such as the Annals of the Four Masters. These records mention individuals with variations of the name, like "O'Nearon" and "Nerone," residing in counties like Sligo, Mayo, and Galway in the western part of Ireland.
One notable early bearer of the Nearon name was Tadhg Ó Niadháin, a prominent Irish chieftain who lived in the 14th century. He was a member of the powerful Ó Niadháin clan and played a significant role in the conflicts between Irish clans and the Anglo-Norman invaders during that time.
In the 16th century, the Nearon surname appeared in the Fiants of the Tudor Monarchy, which were official records of royal grants and pardons issued by the English Crown in Ireland. This suggests that some members of the Nearon family had established themselves as landowners or gained recognition from the English authorities.
During the 17th century, the Nearon surname spread beyond Ireland due to the phenomenon known as the "Irish Diaspora." Many Irish families, including those bearing the Nearon name, emigrated to other parts of the British Isles, as well as to the Americas and other parts of the world, seeking better opportunities or fleeing political and religious turmoil.
One notable figure from this period was John Nearon, an Irish soldier who fought in the English Civil War. He was born in County Mayo in 1620 and served in the Parliamentarian forces under Oliver Cromwell. Nearon participated in several key battles, including the Battle of Naseby in 1645.
Another prominent individual with the Nearon surname was Patrick Nearon, an Irish poet and playwright who lived in the 18th century. Born in County Sligo in 1725, Nearon gained recognition for his satirical works and plays that explored themes of Irish culture and identity.
In the 19th century, the Nearon name continued to appear in various records and documents, including parish registers, census records, and immigration records. Some notable individuals from this period include Michael Nearon, an Irish immigrant to the United States who became a successful businessman in New York City, and Elizabeth Nearon, an Irish-born novelist and poet who published several works exploring the experiences of the Irish diaspora.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Nearon
Among Census respondents with the surname Nearon, the largest self-reported group is White at 69.3%. The next largest groups are Black (13.9%) and Hispanic (13.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Nearon 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 Nearon surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White69.3% · 70
- Black or African American13.9% · 14
- Hispanic or Latino13.9% · 14
- American Indian and Alaska Native2.0% · 2
- Two or more races1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Nearon
Nearon appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#155,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101
-2 bearers (-1.9%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Up 1,964 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #157,234 | 103 | 0.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #155,270 | 101 | 0.03 | -2 bearers (-1.9%) | Up 1,964 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 Nearon 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 | #157,234 | #155,270 | 1.2% |
| Count | 103 | 101 | -1.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.03 | 12.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Nearon bearers went from 103 to 101 (-1.9% change). The surname moved up 1,964 positions in the national ranking, going from #157,234 to #155,270.
FAQ
Nearon surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Nearon?
Name Census estimates that about 116 living Americans carry the surname Nearon. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,954,779 residents.
How common is Nearon?
Nearon ranks #155,270 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 101 people with the surname Nearon. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (116), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Nearon.
Has Nearon become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Nearon went from 103 recorded bearers to 101. That is a decrease of 2 (-1.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #157,234 to #155,270.
What does the Census say about the background of Nearon?
Among Census respondents with the surname Nearon, the largest self-reported group is White at 69.3%. The next largest groups are Black (13.9%) and Hispanic (13.9%). 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 Nearon in the 2020 Census, accounting for 69.3% (70 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Nearon appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (69.3%), Black (13.9%), Hispanic (13.9%). 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 Nearon (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 Nearon mean?
A surname derived from an Irish placename referring to a near or nearby town. 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 Nearon (0.03 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 are called Nearon?
You can see how common the surname Nearon is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.