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

Neels, 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 Neels surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Neels in America

Neels is the 55121st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Neels surname appeared 373 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 Neels.

We can also compare 2010 data for Neels 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 Neels

The surname Neels has its origins in the Netherlands and Belgium, derived from the medieval Dutch nickname "Neel" or "Nele," which was a diminutive form of the Germanic name "Cornelius." This name was commonly used in the Low Countries during the Middle Ages.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Neels can be found in the Gouden Eeuw, or Golden Age, of Dutch history, which spanned the 17th century. During this period, several notable individuals bore the name, including Pieter Neels (1597-1681), a Dutch Golden Age painter known for his landscapes and maritime scenes.

The Neels surname also appeared in various historical records and documents from the Netherlands and Belgium. For example, in the 16th century, a merchant named Jan Neels was mentioned in the archives of the city of Antwerp, suggesting the name's presence in the region during that time.

In the 19th century, the surname gained further prominence with the birth of Andries Neels (1818-1892), a Belgian painter and engraver renowned for his realistic depictions of rural life and landscapes. His works are housed in several prestigious museums, including the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium.

Another notable figure was Theodoor Neels (1846-1913), a Dutch architect who designed several notable buildings in Amsterdam, including the Concertgebouw concert hall and the Rijksmuseum's Philips Wing extension.

Moving into the 20th century, the Neels surname was associated with Pieter Neels (1924-2006), a Belgian cyclist who competed in the 1948 Summer Olympics in London, where he won a silver medal in the tandem event.

Throughout its history, the surname Neels has also been linked to various place names and locations within the Netherlands and Belgium, such as the town of Neel in the province of Limburg, Netherlands, and the Neelsdonk neighborhood in the city of Leuven, Belgium.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Neels

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

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

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

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