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

Neeson, 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 Neeson surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Neeson in America

Neeson is the 47429th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Neeson surname appeared 447 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 Neeson.

We can also compare 2010 data for Neeson 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 Neeson

The surname "Neeson" is of Irish origin, originating from the Gaelic word "Niadh" meaning "fierce" or "vehement". It is believed to have emerged in the 16th or 17th century, primarily in the northern counties of Ulster, Ireland. The Neeson name is thought to be an anglicized version of the Irish Gaelic name "Ó Niadháin" or "Ó Neidhin", meaning "descendant of Niadh".

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Neeson surname can be found in the Hearth Money Rolls of 1663, which listed households in Ireland for taxation purposes. The name appears to have been concentrated in counties such as Antrim, Down, and Armagh during that time period.

While the Neeson name does not appear in the famous Domesday Book, which was a survey of land ownership in England in 1086, it is possible that the name's origins can be traced back even further through various spellings and variations.

Some notable individuals with the surname Neeson throughout history include:

1. John Neeson (1768-1820), an Irish Presbyterian minister and writer from County Antrim.
2. James Neeson (1809-1889), an Irish-born merchant and politician in Ontario, Canada.
3. Sir Bruce Somervail Neeson (1903-1993), a British diplomat and colonial administrator who served as Governor of British Honduras (now Belize) from 1958 to 1962.
4. Liam Neeson (born 1952), the famous Irish actor known for films such as "Schindler's List," "Taken," and "Michael Collins."
5. Gerry Neeson (born 1942), an Irish former professional footballer who played as a midfielder for clubs like Glentoran and Linfield in Northern Ireland.

The Neeson surname has also been associated with various place names in Ireland, such as Neeson's Hollow and Neeson's Hill, which may have been named after early settlers or landowners with the surname.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Neeson

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

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

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

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