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

Neesmith, 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 Neesmith surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Neesmith in America

Neesmith is the 66754th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Neesmith surname appeared 296 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 Neesmith.

We can also compare 2010 data for Neesmith 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 Neesmith

The surname Neesmith is believed to have originated in England, with its roots dating back to the 13th century. It is thought to be derived from the Old English words "neeh," meaning "nigh" or "near," and "smið," meaning "smith." This suggests that the name likely referred to a blacksmith or metalworker who lived or worked near a particular location, such as a village or landmark.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Neesmith appears in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which were a census-like record of landowners and their holdings in various counties of England. This suggests that the name was already established in the region by the late 13th century.

During the medieval period, the name Neesmith may have been spelled in various ways, such as "Nismyth," "Neesmyth," or "Nesmyth," reflecting the lack of standardized spelling at the time. These variations often reflected regional dialects or the individual preferences of the scribes who recorded the names.

In the 14th century, a John Neesmith was mentioned in the records of the borough of Leicester, indicating the presence of the name in the East Midlands region of England. Another notable figure bearing this surname was Sir William Neesmith, who served as the Lord Mayor of London in 1456.

As the centuries progressed, the Neesmith family continued to leave their mark on history. In the 17th century, Robert Neesmith (1612-1683) was a prominent English clergyman and author who served as the Rector of Gateshead, County Durham. Another individual of note was Thomas Neesmith (1699-1767), a renowned mathematician and astronomer from Yorkshire, who made significant contributions to the field of celestial mechanics.

In the 19th century, the Neesmith name gained further prominence with the birth of James Neesmith (1823-1901), a Scottish-born engineer who played a pivotal role in the development of the Bessemer steel process, a groundbreaking method for mass-producing high-quality steel. His work had a profound impact on the industrial revolution and the construction of modern cities.

While the name Neesmith is not among the most common surnames in the English-speaking world, it has a rich history spanning several centuries and has been borne by individuals who have made significant contributions to various fields, from religion and academia to engineering and industry.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Neesmith

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

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

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

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