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

Nee, 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 Nee surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Nee in America

Nee is the 10663rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Nee surname appeared 3,000 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Nee.

We can also compare 2010 data for Nee 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 Nee

The surname NEE originated in France. It emerged in the 12th century and is derived from the Old French word "nee," meaning "born" or "native." The earliest references to the name can be found in records from the Normandy region of northern France.

The surname NEE likely originated as a descriptive name, given to someone who had recently arrived in a new area or village. It may have been used to distinguish them from long-standing residents. Alternatively, it could have been a nickname for someone born on a specific day or during a notable event.

In the 13th century, the name appeared in various medieval documents from Normandy, such as land grants and tax records. One notable example is Jacques NEE, a landowner mentioned in a 1265 charter from the town of Rouen.

Over time, the name spread to other parts of France, and variations in spelling emerged, such as Née, Nee, and Nay. In the 16th century, records show a Pierre Nee living in Paris, while a Jean Nay was recorded in the southern city of Marseille.

The surname NEE also found its way to other parts of Europe. In the 17th century, a family by the name of Nee settled in the Netherlands, and their descendants can be traced through church records and census documents. One notable figure was Jan Nee (1630-1695), a merchant and alderman in Amsterdam.

In the 18th century, the name appeared in Britain, likely brought over by French immigrants or Huguenot refugees. Records from this period include a William Nee (1712-1789), a weaver from London, and a Mary Nee (1745-1812), who was born in Edinburgh, Scotland.

As people migrated to other parts of the world, the surname NEE spread further. In the 19th century, a family with the name settled in Australia, where a prominent figure was James Nee (1835-1908), a politician and businessman from Sydney.

Other notable individuals with the surname NEE throughout history include:

• Henri Née (1804-1879), a French painter and illustrator.
• Ary de Nee (1861-1942), a Dutch writer and poet.
• Léon Née (1895-1974), a French cyclist and Olympic medalist.
• Norma Nee (1928-2005), an American actress and dancer.
• David Nee (born 1959), an American author and journalist.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Nee

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

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 Nee 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 Nee 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 Nee was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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