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

Neighbour, 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 Neighbour surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Neighbour in America

Neighbour is the 119508th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Neighbour surname appeared 145 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 Neighbour.

We can also compare 2010 data for Neighbour 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 Neighbour

The surname Neighbour is of English origin, derived from the Old English word 'neahgebur' which means 'near-dweller' or 'close neighbour'. This name was originally used as a descriptive term for someone who lived in close proximity to another person or place.

The earliest known record of the surname Neighbour can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is listed as 'Nehebur' in the county of Berkshire. This suggests that the name was well-established in England by the late 11th century.

During the medieval period, the name Neighbour was often associated with landowners or tenants who lived on or near the estates of wealthy lords or noblemen. In some cases, the name may have been adopted by individuals who lived in the same village or hamlet as a local lord or prominent figure.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Neighbour was John Neighbour, who was born in Lincolnshire, England around 1470. He was a prominent landowner and served as a Justice of the Peace in his county.

Another notable bearer of the name was Thomas Neighbour, a English merchant and explorer who was born in Bristol in 1540. He was one of the first Englishmen to establish trade routes with the West Indies and is credited with bringing the first pineapple to England from the Caribbean.

In the 17th century, the Neighbour family had a strong presence in the county of Wiltshire, where they were associated with the town of Warminster. One member of this branch was Edward Neighbour, born in 1621, who served as the mayor of Warminster in 1665.

During the 18th and 19th centuries, the Neighbour surname spread across various parts of England, with notable individuals such as Sir John Neighbour (1705-1780), a wealthy merchant and Member of Parliament for the city of Bristol, and William Neighbour (1785-1856), a prominent horticulturist and nurseryman from London.

Another significant figure was Edward Neighbour (1808-1877), a prominent beekeeper and author from Sussex, England. He wrote several influential books on beekeeping and was a leading advocate for modern apiculture techniques in the Victorian era.

Over time, the name Neighbour has undergone various spelling variations, including Neybour, Nayghbour, and Naybor, reflecting the fluid nature of English spelling before standardization. However, the modern spelling 'Neighbour' has become the most widely accepted version of the surname.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Neighbour

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

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

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

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