2000
#47,308
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 422
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.16
Very Rare Last name
Needler
A variant of the occupational surname "Nedeler" for someone who made needles.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 525 Americans carry the last name Needler. That puts it at #49,576 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.15 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 652,865 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Needler 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 Needler with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
525
1 in 652,865
Census rank
#49,576
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
458
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 458 bearers of the surname Needler in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.15 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 49576th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Needler, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.7%) and Hispanic (1.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Needler
The surname Needler is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English word "naedlere," which means "needle maker" or "needle seller." The name likely emerged as an occupational surname, referring to individuals who were involved in the production or trade of needles.
The earliest recorded instances of the surname Needler can be traced back to the 13th century. One of the earliest known references is found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire, dated 1273, which mentions a person named William le Nedlere. This early spelling variation highlights the occupational aspect of the name.
In the 14th century, the surname Needler appeared in various records across England. For example, the Poll Tax Returns of Yorkshire in 1379 listed a Robert Nedlere, while the Subsidy Rolls of Suffolk in 1381 included a John Nedlere.
The Needler surname has been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. One of the earliest recorded was John Needler, a merchant from London who lived in the 16th century. Another notable figure was Thomas Needler (1638-1684), an English clergyman and author who wrote several religious works.
In the 18th century, Richard Needler (1712-1784) gained recognition as an English clergyman and a fellow of the Royal Society. He made significant contributions to the fields of mathematics and astronomy.
Later, in the 19th century, Benjamin Needler (1819-1904) was a prominent English architect who designed numerous buildings in London and other parts of England.
Another notable bearer of the surname was Henry Needler (1885-1948), a British soldier and recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest military honor awarded for gallantry in the British armed forces. He was awarded the prestigious medal for his bravery during World War I.
While the Needler surname originated in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world, including North America and Australia, due to migration and immigration patterns.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Needler
Among Census respondents with the surname Needler, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.7%) and Hispanic (1.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Needler 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 Needler surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White95.6% · 438
- Two or more races1.7% · 8
- Hispanic or Latino1.5% · 7
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 4
- Black or African American0.2% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Needler
Needler 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
#48,060
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 440
+18 bearers (+4.3%)
Per 100,000 0.15
Rank movement Down 752 places
2020
#49,576
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 458
+18 bearers (+4.1%)
Per 100,000 0.15
Rank movement Down 1,516 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #47,308 | 422 | 0.16 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #48,060 | 440 | 0.15 | +18 bearers (+4.3%) | Down 752 places |
| 2020 | #49,576 | 458 | 0.15 | +18 bearers (+4.1%) | Down 1,516 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 Needler 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 | #48,060 | #49,576 | -3.2% |
| Count | 440 | 458 | 4.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.15 | 0.15 | 2.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Needler bearers went from 440 to 458 (+4.1% change). The surname moved down 1,516 positions in the national ranking, going from #48,060 to #49,576.
FAQ
Needler surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Needler?
Name Census estimates that about 525 living Americans carry the surname Needler. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 652,865 residents.
How common is Needler?
Needler ranks #49,576 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.15 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 458 people with the surname Needler. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (525), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.15 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.15 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 Needler.
Has Needler become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Needler went from 440 recorded bearers to 458. That is an increase of 18 (+4.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #48,060 to #49,576.
What does the Census say about the background of Needler?
Among Census respondents with the surname Needler, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.7%) and Hispanic (1.5%). 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 Needler in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.6% (438 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Needler appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (95.6%), Two or More Races (1.7%), Hispanic (1.5%). 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 Needler (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 Needler mean?
A variant of the occupational surname "Nedeler" for someone who made needles. 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 Needler (0.15 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 Needler?
You can see how many people have the last name Needler on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.