2000
#15,217
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,775
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.66
Rare Last name
Neece
Derived from a Middle English topographic name for someone who lived near a headland or cliff.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,032 Americans carry the last name Neece. That puts it at #15,824 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.59 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 168,678 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Neece 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
2.0K
1 in 168,678
Census rank
#15,824
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,772 bearers of the surname Neece in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.59 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 15824th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Neece, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.0%) and Two or More Races (2.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Neece
The surname "NEECE" is of Anglo-Saxon origin and dates back to the early medieval period in England. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "nece," which means "niece" or "granddaughter." This suggests that the name may have originally denoted a familial relationship or referred to a person's ancestry.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Nece." This historical document, commissioned by William the Conqueror, served as a comprehensive survey of land ownership and taxation in England.
During the Middle Ages, the name "NEECE" was predominantly found in the counties of Northumberland, Yorkshire, and Lancashire in northern England. It is likely that the name originated in one of these regions and later spread to other parts of the country.
In the 13th century, a notable bearer of the name was Sir John Neece, a prominent landowner and knight who fought in the Wars of Scottish Independence. He was born in 1254 and died in 1315.
Another historically significant figure was William Neece, a merchant and alderman in the city of London during the 15th century. He was actively involved in the wool trade and served as the Lord Mayor of London from 1458 to 1459.
During the 16th century, the name "NEECE" appeared in various forms, including "Neice," "Neyse," and "Neyces." This variation in spelling was common in the era before standardized spelling conventions were established.
In the 17th century, a notable bearer of the name was Thomas Neece, a Puritan minister and author who lived from 1608 to 1685. He was known for his religious writings and sermons, which were widely published during his lifetime.
Another individual of note was Elizabeth Neece, a pioneering educator and philanthropist who lived from 1742 to 1821. She founded several schools in her hometown of Lancaster, England, and made significant contributions to the advancement of education for underprivileged children.
Throughout its history, the surname "NEECE" has been associated with various place names, such as Neece Hall in Staffordshire and Neece Manor in Gloucestershire. These locations likely derived their names from individuals bearing the surname or were connected to early bearers of the name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Neece
Among Census respondents with the surname Neece, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.0%) and Two or More Races (2.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Neece 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 Neece surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.8% · 1,627
- Hispanic or Latino4.0% · 70
- Two or more races2.5% · 45
- Black or African American0.8% · 15
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 9
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 6
Timeline
Historical Census data for Neece
Neece 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
#14,338
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,087
+312 bearers (+17.6%)
Per 100,000 0.71
Rank movement Up 879 places
2020
#15,824
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,772
-315 bearers (-15.1%)
Per 100,000 0.59
Rank movement Down 1,486 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #15,217 | 1,775 | 0.66 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #14,338 | 2,087 | 0.71 | +312 bearers (+17.6%) | Up 879 places |
| 2020 | #15,824 | 1,772 | 0.59 | -315 bearers (-15.1%) | Down 1,486 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 Neece 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 | #14,338 | #15,824 | -10.4% |
| Count | 2,087 | 1,772 | -15.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.71 | 0.59 | -16.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Neece bearers went from 2,087 to 1,772 (-15.1% change). The surname moved down 1,486 positions in the national ranking, going from #14,338 to #15,824.
FAQ
Neece surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Neece?
Name Census estimates that about 2,032 living Americans carry the surname Neece. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 168,678 residents.
How common is Neece?
Neece ranks #15,824 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.59 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 1,772 people with the surname Neece. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,032), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.59 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.59 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 Neece.
Has Neece become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Neece went from 2,087 recorded bearers to 1,772. That is a decrease of 315 (-15.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #14,338 to #15,824.
What does the Census say about the background of Neece?
Among Census respondents with the surname Neece, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.0%) and Two or More Races (2.5%). 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 Neece in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.8% (1,627 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Neece appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.8%), Hispanic (4.0%), Two or More Races (2.5%). 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 Neece (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 Neece mean?
Derived from a Middle English topographic name for someone who lived near a headland or cliff. 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 Neece (0.59 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 Neece?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.