2000
#114,852
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 141
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Neir
A habitational name derived from placename bearing Norman French "noir" meaning dark.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 112 Americans carry the last name Neir. That puts it at #156,269 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 3,060,307 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Neir 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
112
1 in 3,060,307
Census rank
#156,269
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
98
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 98 bearers of the surname Neir in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 156269th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Neir, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (13.3%) and Two or More Races (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Neir
The surname NEIR has its origins in England, dating back to the early medieval period. It is believed to be derived from the Old English word "nearu," which means "narrow" or "constricted." This suggests that the name may have originally referred to someone who lived near a narrow passage, such as a narrow valley or a confined area.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name NEIR can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of land ownership in England conducted by order of William the Conqueror. The name appears in various spelling variations, including Nere, Neer, and Neyre, indicating its long-standing presence in the region.
In the 13th century, records show a William de Nere who was a landowner in the county of Berkshire. This early reference to the surname with the "de" prefix, which signified land ownership or territorial association, lends credence to the theory that the name originated from a place name or geographic feature.
During the 14th century, the NEIR surname spread across various parts of England, with notable individuals like John Nere, a merchant and alderman in the city of London, born around 1320. Another prominent figure was Thomas Neyre, who served as the Mayor of Bristol in 1375.
In the 15th century, the name continued to be recorded in various forms, such as Nayer, Nair, and Nayre. One noteworthy individual from this period was William Nayer, a scholar and theologian who was born in Leicestershire in 1460 and later became the Bishop of Rochester.
As the centuries passed, the NEIR surname continued to evolve and spread across different regions of England. In the 16th century, there was a John Neire, a merchant and ship owner from Bristol, who was born in 1520. Another notable figure from this era was Elizabeth Naire, a prominent landowner in Warwickshire, who lived from 1550 to 1612.
Throughout its history, the NEIR surname has been associated with various professions and social classes, from merchants and landowners to scholars and clergymen. While the specific origins and meaning of the name may have evolved over time, its enduring presence in England's historical records testifies to its deep-rooted origins and significance.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Neir
Among Census respondents with the surname Neir, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (13.3%) and Two or More Races (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Neir 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 Neir surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White85.7% · 84
- Hispanic or Latino13.3% · 13
- Two or more races1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Neir
Neir 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
#147,253
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
-29 bearers (-20.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 32,401 places
2020
#156,269
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 98
-14 bearers (-12.5%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 9,016 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #114,852 | 141 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #147,253 | 112 | 0.04 | -29 bearers (-20.6%) | Down 32,401 places |
| 2020 | #156,269 | 98 | 0.03 | -14 bearers (-12.5%) | Down 9,016 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 Neir 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 | #147,253 | #156,269 | -6.1% |
| Count | 112 | 98 | -12.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -18.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Neir bearers went from 112 to 98 (-12.5% change). The surname moved down 9,016 positions in the national ranking, going from #147,253 to #156,269.
FAQ
Neir surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Neir?
Name Census estimates that about 112 living Americans carry the surname Neir. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 3,060,307 residents.
How common is Neir?
Neir ranks #156,269 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 98 people with the surname Neir. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (112), 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 Neir.
Has Neir become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Neir went from 112 recorded bearers to 98. That is a decrease of 14 (-12.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #147,253 to #156,269.
What does the Census say about the background of Neir?
Among Census respondents with the surname Neir, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (13.3%) and Two or More Races (1.0%). 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 Neir in the 2020 Census, accounting for 85.7% (84 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Neir appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (85.7%), Hispanic (13.3%), Two or More Races (1.0%). 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 Neir (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 Neir mean?
A habitational name derived from placename bearing Norman French "noir" meaning dark. 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 Neir (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 share the surname Neir?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.