Find out how popular the last name Neaves is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Neaves.

Neaves, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Neaves surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Neaves in America

Neaves is the 21926th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Neaves surname appeared 1,184 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Neaves.

We can also compare 2010 data for Neaves to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Neaves

The surname Neaves originated in England and is derived from the Old English word "neafe", meaning "fist". It is believed to have been initially used as a nickname for someone with a strong or powerful fist, or perhaps for a skilled boxer or fighter.

The earliest known record of the name Neaves can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1273, where it is listed as "Nefe". Over time, the spelling evolved to its current form, Neaves.

One of the earliest notable individuals bearing this surname was John Neaves, born in 1522 in Yorkshire, England. He was a renowned theologian and author, known for his work "A Treatise on the Lord's Supper".

In the 16th century, the Neaves family was prominent in the village of Harthill, located in the county of Yorkshire. The Neaves family crest, featuring a clenched fist, is a nod to the name's origins.

Sir Walter Neaves, born in 1672 in Gloucestershire, was a distinguished military officer who served in the English Army during the late 17th and early 18th centuries. He is particularly known for his role in the Battle of Blenheim in 1704.

Another notable figure with this surname was Charles Neaves, born in 1800 in Dundee, Scotland. He was a renowned Scottish lawyer and judge who served as the Lord President of the Court of Session, the highest civil court in Scotland, from 1858 until his death in 1876.

In the early 19th century, the Neaves family also had a presence in the United States. One of the earliest recorded instances is that of Thomas Neaves, who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1820 from England.

While the surname Neaves is not among the most common surnames in the world, it has a rich history dating back to medieval times in England, with roots in Old English and a connection to the profession of boxing or fighting.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Neaves

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Neaves.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Neaves was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Neaves has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Neaves was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Neaves, please contact us.

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