2000
#13,104
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,140
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.79
Rare Last name
Nehring
A surname of German origin, derived from a place name or referring to someone living near a fallow field.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,368 Americans carry the last name Nehring. That puts it at #13,983 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.69 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 144,744 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Nehring 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.
Bearers in the US
2.4K
1 in 144,744
Census rank
#13,983
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,065 bearers of the surname Nehring in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.69 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13983rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Nehring, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Two or More Races (3.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Nehring
The surname Nehring is of German origin, derived from the Middle Low German word "nering," meaning "nourishment" or "sustenance." This name likely emerged during the Middle Ages in northern Germany, particularly in the regions of Mecklenburg, Pomerania, and Saxony.
In the 13th century, the name Nehring appeared in various historical records, including the Pomeranian Ducal Chronicles. One of the earliest recorded instances is a mention of a knight named Ludeke Nehring, who served under the Duke of Pomerania in the late 1200s.
During the 15th century, the surname Nehring was found in several town records and land registries across northern Germany. Notable examples include Johann Nehring, a merchant from Lübeck (1423-1489), and Barthold Nehring, a landowner in Mecklenburg (1457-1521).
The name Nehring can also be traced back to place names, such as the village of Nehringen in Brandenburg, which was first mentioned in historical documents in the 11th century. This suggests that some individuals may have adopted the surname based on their place of origin.
In the 16th century, the Nehring family had established itself as a prominent lineage in Pomerania. Hans Nehring (1532-1609), a respected jurist and author, served as a counselor to the Duke of Pomerania and published several legal treatises.
During the 17th century, the name Nehring was prominent in the region of Saxony. Johann Nehring (1603-1668), a Lutheran theologian and professor at the University of Leipzig, made significant contributions to the field of biblical exegesis.
Another notable figure was Ernst Friedrich Nehring (1719-1786), a Prussian military officer and writer. He served in the Prussian Army during the Seven Years' War and later authored several works on military strategy and tactics.
In the 19th century, the Nehring family produced several distinguished scholars and scientists. Eduard Nehring (1837-1919) was a German zoologist and paleontologist who made significant contributions to the study of fossil mammals.
Overall, the surname Nehring has a rich history spanning several centuries, with roots deeply embedded in northern Germany. While the name has spread worldwide, its origins can be traced back to the Middle Ages, when it first appeared as a testament to the occupations and places of residence of its earliest bearers.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Nehring
Among Census respondents with the surname Nehring, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Two or More Races (3.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Nehring 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 Nehring surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.4% · 1,909
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 70
- Two or more races3.1% · 63
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 15
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 5
- Black or African American0.1% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Nehring
Nehring 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
#13,502
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,248
+108 bearers (+5.0%)
Per 100,000 0.76
Rank movement Down 398 places
2020
#13,983
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,065
-183 bearers (-8.1%)
Per 100,000 0.69
Rank movement Down 481 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #13,104 | 2,140 | 0.79 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #13,502 | 2,248 | 0.76 | +108 bearers (+5.0%) | Down 398 places |
| 2020 | #13,983 | 2,065 | 0.69 | -183 bearers (-8.1%) | Down 481 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 Nehring 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 | #13,502 | #13,983 | -3.6% |
| Count | 2,248 | 2,065 | -8.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.76 | 0.69 | -9.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Nehring bearers went from 2,248 to 2,065 (-8.1% change). The surname moved down 481 positions in the national ranking, going from #13,502 to #13,983.
FAQ
Nehring surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Nehring?
Name Census estimates that about 2,368 living Americans carry the surname Nehring. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 144,744 residents.
How common is Nehring?
Nehring ranks #13,983 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.69 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,065 people with the surname Nehring. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,368), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.69 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.69 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Nehring.
Has Nehring become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Nehring went from 2,248 recorded bearers to 2,065. That is a decrease of 183 (-8.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #13,502 to #13,983.
What does the Census say about the background of Nehring?
Among Census respondents with the surname Nehring, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Two or More Races (3.1%). 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 Nehring in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.4% (1,909 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Nehring appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.4%), Hispanic (3.4%), Two or More Races (3.1%). 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 Nehring (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 Nehring mean?
A surname of German origin, derived from a place name or referring to someone living near a fallow field. 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 Nehring (0.69 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 many people are called Nehring?
You can see how many people have the last name Nehring on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.