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

Neish, 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 Neish surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Neish in America

Neish is the 62189th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Neish surname appeared 322 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 Neish.

We can also compare 2010 data for Neish 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 Neish

The surname Neish has its origins in Scotland, with the earliest recorded instances dating back to the 16th century. The name is believed to have derived from the Gaelic words "an ìosal," meaning "the low ground" or "the hollow," suggesting that the initial bearers of the name lived in a low-lying area or valley.

Records indicate that the name was particularly prevalent in the Scottish Borders region, with the earliest known reference appearing in the Berwickshire parish records of 1583, where a John Neish was mentioned. Over the subsequent centuries, various spellings of the name emerged, including Neishe, Neisch, and Nesche, reflecting the variations in regional dialects and pronunciations.

One notable historical figure bearing the Neish surname was James Neish, a Scottish merchant and burgess of Edinburgh, who lived in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. He played a significant role in the city's trade and commerce during that time period.

In the 17th century, the name spread beyond Scotland's borders, with records showing Neish families settling in parts of Northern England, particularly in the region of Northumberland. One such individual was Robert Neish, born in 1635, who was a prominent landowner and farmer in the village of Wooler.

The name also found its way to the Americas, with several Neish individuals emigrating from Scotland to the British colonies in the 18th and 19th centuries. One notable example is William Neish, born in 1756 in Dumfriesshire, Scotland, who served as a soldier in the American Revolutionary War and later settled in Pennsylvania.

Another individual of note was John Neish, born in 1817 in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, who became a renowned author and editor. He published several works on Scottish history, literature, and culture, and was instrumental in preserving and promoting the country's rich heritage.

Throughout history, the Neish surname has been associated with various professions and accomplishments, from merchants and landowners to soldiers and literary figures. While its origins lie in the Scottish lowlands, the name has since spread across the globe, carried by those who traced their roots back to the ancient valleys and hollows of Scotland.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Neish

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!