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

Nehl, 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 Nehl surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Nehl in America

Nehl is the 53538th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Nehl surname appeared 386 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 Nehl.

We can also compare 2010 data for Nehl 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 Nehl

The surname Nehl originated in Germany, specifically in the region of Bavaria, during the late medieval period around the 14th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old German word "nehl," meaning "needle," which suggests that the name may have originally been an occupational surname for a needle maker or someone involved in the needlework trade.

One of the earliest known records of the name Nehl can be found in the Bavarian town of Nürnberg, where a certain Hans Nehl was documented as a resident in the year 1458. In the same region, a document from 1502 mentions a Katharina Nehl, who was likely the wife or daughter of a needle maker.

As the surname spread throughout Germany over the centuries, it underwent various spelling variations, such as Nehle, Nehl, and Nähle. These variations were often influenced by regional dialects and local pronunciation.

Notably, the name Nehl appeared in the historical records of the city of Augsburg, which was a prominent center for textile production and trade during the Renaissance period. In 1587, a merchant named Johannes Nehl was documented as a member of the local guild of needle makers.

One of the earliest known instances of the name outside of Germany can be found in the records of the Dutch city of Amsterdam, where a certain Pieter Nehl was listed as a resident in the year 1632. This suggests that the name may have been carried by German immigrants to the Netherlands during the 17th century.

Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals with the surname Nehl. In the 18th century, Johann Nepomuk Nehl (1725-1798) was a renowned Bavarian sculptor and wood carver, known for his intricate and highly detailed works. Another figure of note was the German philosopher and writer Karl Nehl (1810-1872), who authored several influential works on aesthetics and literary criticism.

In the 20th century, the name gained further prominence with individuals like Hans Nehl (1903-1988), a German diplomat and politician who served as the West German ambassador to several countries during the Cold War era. Additionally, Gerhard Nehl (1932-2017) was a renowned German architect and urban planner, notable for his innovative designs and contributions to the reconstruction of post-war Germany.

It is worth mentioning that the name Nehl has also been documented in other European countries, such as Austria and Switzerland, likely due to migration patterns and family ties across borders. However, its origins and earliest records can be traced back to medieval Germany, where it emerged as an occupational surname related to the needle-making trade.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Nehl

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!