2000
#14,995
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,809
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.67
Rare Last name
Neitzel
A German toponymic surname derived from a place name meaning "new settlement" or "new village."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,328 Americans carry the last name Neitzel. That puts it at #14,199 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.68 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 147,231 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Neitzel 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
2.3K
1 in 147,231
Census rank
#14,199
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,030 bearers of the surname Neitzel in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.68 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14199th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Neitzel, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.9%) and Hispanic (2.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Neitzel
The surname Neitzel is of German origin and can be traced back to the early 15th century in the regions of Saxony and Pomerania. It is derived from the Old German word 'neitz', meaning a sickle or curved knife, often used in agricultural settings. This suggests that the earliest bearers of this name were likely involved in farming or agricultural activities.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Neitzel can be found in the town of Stettin (now Szczecin, Poland) in 1437, where a certain Hans Neitzel was mentioned in a municipal record. The name also appears in various church registers and tax records from the 16th and 17th centuries across northern Germany, indicating its widespread usage during that time.
In the late 16th century, the name Neitzel was associated with the village of Neetzeln (now Nieciecza) in the Pomeranian region, which may have influenced the spelling and pronunciation of the surname. This village name is believed to be derived from the same Old German root as the surname, further reinforcing the connection between the name and agricultural tools.
One notable figure bearing the surname Neitzel was Johann Christian Neitzel (1695-1768), a German theologian and philosopher who served as a professor at the University of Greifswald. His works on natural theology and the philosophy of religion were widely influential during the Enlightenment period.
Another individual of historical significance was Carl Friedrich Neitzel (1810-1886), a German architect and urban planner who designed several prominent buildings in Berlin, including the Reichsbank and the Borsig Palace. His contributions to the architectural landscape of the city earned him recognition as one of the leading figures in the Prussian Revivalist movement.
In the 19th century, the Neitzel name also gained prominence through the achievements of Johann Gottfried Neitzel (1828-1912), a German mathematician and educator who made significant contributions to the field of geometry. His work on quadrilaterals and polygons was widely studied and influenced the development of mathematical education in Germany.
The surname Neitzel also has a presence in the United States, where it was likely brought by German immigrants in the 19th and early 20th centuries. One notable American bearing this name was Robert Neitzel (1924-2010), a distinguished World War II veteran who served in the U.S. Army and later became a prominent businessman and philanthropist in the state of Wisconsin.
Throughout its history, the surname Neitzel has been associated with individuals from various professions, including academics, architects, and military personnel, reflecting the diverse paths taken by those who have carried this name over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Neitzel
Among Census respondents with the surname Neitzel, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.9%) and Hispanic (2.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Neitzel 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 Neitzel surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.6% · 1,901
- Two or more races2.9% · 59
- Hispanic or Latino2.3% · 47
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 10
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 7
- Black or African American0.3% · 6
Timeline
Historical Census data for Neitzel
Neitzel 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
#14,528
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,052
+243 bearers (+13.4%)
Per 100,000 0.70
Rank movement Up 467 places
2020
#14,199
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,030
-22 bearers (-1.1%)
Per 100,000 0.68
Rank movement Up 329 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #14,995 | 1,809 | 0.67 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #14,528 | 2,052 | 0.70 | +243 bearers (+13.4%) | Up 467 places |
| 2020 | #14,199 | 2,030 | 0.68 | -22 bearers (-1.1%) | Up 329 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 Neitzel 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 | #14,528 | #14,199 | 2.3% |
| Count | 2,052 | 2,030 | -1.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.70 | 0.68 | -3.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Neitzel bearers went from 2,052 to 2,030 (-1.1% change). The surname moved up 329 positions in the national ranking, going from #14,528 to #14,199.
FAQ
Neitzel surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Neitzel?
Name Census estimates that about 2,328 living Americans carry the surname Neitzel. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 147,231 residents.
How common is Neitzel?
Neitzel ranks #14,199 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.68 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,030 people with the surname Neitzel. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,328), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.68 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.68 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Neitzel.
Has Neitzel become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Neitzel went from 2,052 recorded bearers to 2,030. That is a decrease of 22 (-1.1%). In the national ranking it rose from #14,528 to #14,199.
What does the Census say about the background of Neitzel?
Among Census respondents with the surname Neitzel, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.9%) and Hispanic (2.3%). 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 Neitzel in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.6% (1,901 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Neitzel appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.6%), Two or More Races (2.9%), Hispanic (2.3%). 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 Neitzel (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 Neitzel mean?
A German toponymic surname derived from a place name meaning "new settlement" or "new village." 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 Neitzel (0.68 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 common is the surname Neitzel?
You can see how common the surname Neitzel is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.