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

Neighbor, 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 Neighbor surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Neighbor in America

Neighbor is the 38754th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Neighbor surname appeared 570 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 Neighbor.

We can also compare 2010 data for Neighbor 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 Neighbor

The surname "Neighbor" is of English origin, deriving from the Old English word "neahgebur," which literally means "near-dweller." It first emerged as a descriptive surname, referring to someone who lived in close proximity to another person or place.

In the medieval period, the name was often spelled as "Neighebour" or "Neybour," reflecting the phonetic spelling conventions of the time. The earliest recorded instance of the name appears in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1203, where a certain William Neybur is mentioned.

The name "Neighbor" can also be traced back to various place names in England, such as Navestock in Essex, which was originally known as "Navestoc" in the Domesday Book of 1086. This suggests that some individuals may have adopted the surname based on their association with particular localities.

One notable individual bearing the surname "Neighbor" was John Neighbor (c. 1515-1578), an English Protestant reformer and Bishop of Rochester during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. He played a significant role in the establishment of the Church of England.

Another historical figure was Sir Randal Neighbor (1571-1635), an English politician and landowner who served as a Member of Parliament for Old Sarum in the early 17th century.

In the 18th century, Samuel Neighbor (1736-1799) was a prominent English engraver and cartographer, known for his intricate maps and illustrations.

Moving into the 19th century, Robert Neighbor (1815-1892) was a British architect who designed several notable buildings in London, including the Royal College of Surgeons and the Athenaeum Club.

Lastly, Richard Neighbor (1835-1915) was a renowned English artist and illustrator, best known for his paintings depicting scenes from British rural life and landscapes.

Throughout its history, the surname "Neighbor" has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, reflecting the diverse origins and meanings associated with this name.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Neighbor

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

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

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

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