2010
#151,532
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Neinas
A surname of potential Lithuanian origins, though its precise meaning is uncertain.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 117 Americans carry the last name Neinas. That puts it at #154,755 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,929,524 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Neinas 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
117
1 in 2,929,524
Census rank
#154,755
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
102
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 102 bearers of the surname Neinas in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 154755th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Neinas, the largest self-reported group is White at 98.0%. The next largest groups are Black (2.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Neinas
The surname NEINAS is believed to have originated in Lithuania, dating back to the 16th century. It is thought to be derived from the Lithuanian word "neinas," which means "wanderer" or "traveler." This suggests that the name may have been given to someone who frequently traveled or relocated.
In the early days, the name was primarily concentrated in the northern regions of Lithuania, particularly around the towns of Šiauliai and Panevėžys. Historical records from that era show variations in the spelling, such as "Neynas" and "Neynos."
One of the earliest known references to the name NEINAS can be found in a 17th-century census record from the town of Kražiai, where a family with that surname was documented. Additionally, the name appears in several parish records from the late 18th century in the Samogitian region of western Lithuania.
Notably, a Jurgis NEINAS, born in 1742, was a prominent figure in the Lithuanian peasant uprising against the Russian Empire in the late 18th century. His participation in the rebellion is mentioned in historical accounts of the time.
Another notable bearer of the NEINAS surname was Antanas NEINAS (1819-1891), a Lithuanian writer and translator who played a significant role in the Lithuanian National Revival movement. His works contributed to the preservation and promotion of the Lithuanian language and culture.
In the 19th century, the name NEINAS gained recognition through Jonas NEINAS (1845-1919), a Lithuanian businessman and philanthropist. He made significant contributions to the development of education and cultural institutions in Lithuania.
Furthermore, Juozas NEINAS (1868-1945) was a prominent Lithuanian lawyer and judge who served in the Supreme Court of Lithuania during the interwar period.
It is worth mentioning that the NEINAS surname also has roots in Poland, where it is sometimes spelled as "Nejnas" or "Nejnos." However, the Lithuanian origin and connection remain the most widely accepted.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Neinas
Among Census respondents with the surname Neinas, the largest self-reported group is White at 98.0%. The next largest groups are Black (2.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Neinas 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 Neinas surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White98.0% · 100
- Black or African American2.0% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Neinas
Neinas appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#154,755
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
-6 bearers (-5.6%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 3,223 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #151,532 | 108 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #154,755 | 102 | 0.03 | -6 bearers (-5.6%) | Down 3,223 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 Neinas 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 | #151,532 | #154,755 | -2.1% |
| Count | 108 | 102 | -5.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -14.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Neinas bearers went from 108 to 102 (-5.6% change). The surname moved down 3,223 positions in the national ranking, going from #151,532 to #154,755.
FAQ
Neinas surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Neinas?
Name Census estimates that about 117 living Americans carry the surname Neinas. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,929,524 residents.
How common is Neinas?
Neinas ranks #154,755 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 102 people with the surname Neinas. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (117), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Neinas.
Has Neinas become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Neinas went from 108 recorded bearers to 102. That is a decrease of 6 (-5.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #151,532 to #154,755.
What does the Census say about the background of Neinas?
Among Census respondents with the surname Neinas, the largest self-reported group is White at 98.0%. The next largest groups are Black (2.0%). 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 Neinas in the 2020 Census, accounting for 98.0% (100 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Neinas appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (98.0%), Black (2.0%). 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 Neinas (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 Neinas mean?
A surname of potential Lithuanian origins, though its precise meaning is uncertain. 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 Neinas (0.03 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 have the surname Neinas?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.