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

Neiss, 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 Neiss surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Neiss in America

Neiss is the 34539th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Neiss surname appeared 655 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 Neiss.

We can also compare 2010 data for Neiss 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 Neiss

The surname "NEISS" is of German origin, deriving from the Old German word "neisse," which means "tributary" or "small river." This name likely originated in the regions surrounding the Neisse River, which flows through parts of modern-day Germany, Poland, and the Czech Republic.

One of the earliest recorded instances of this surname can be found in the annals of the city of Breslau (now Wrocław, Poland), where a certain "Heinrich Neiss" is mentioned in a document dated 1382. This suggests that the name was already established in the region by the 14th century.

In the Middle Ages, the Neisse River served as a natural boundary between various territories and principalities, and it is possible that the surname was initially adopted by families living near or along the river's banks.

A notable bearer of this name was Johannes Neiss, a German theologian and Reformer born in 1499 in the town of Nordhausen. He played a significant role in the early years of the Protestant Reformation and was a close associate of Martin Luther.

Another historical figure with this surname was Christoph Neiss, a German composer and organist who lived from 1563 to 1614. He served as the organist at the St. Sebaldus Church in Nuremberg and is remembered for his contributions to the development of Protestant church music.

In the 17th century, a branch of the Neiss family settled in the region of Silesia (now divided between Poland, Germany, and the Czech Republic). One member, Hans Neiss (1647-1714), was a prominent merchant and landowner in the town of Schweidnitz (now Świdnica, Poland).

Moving into the 18th century, we find mention of Johann Neiss (1705-1783), a German painter and engraver from Nuremberg. His works, which often depicted biblical scenes and landscapes, were highly regarded during his lifetime.

The surname "NEISS" is also closely associated with the town of Neisse (now Nysa, Poland), which was once part of the historical region of Silesia. It is likely that some bearers of this name trace their origins back to this particular locality.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Neiss

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

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

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

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