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

Nel, 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 Nel surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Nel in America

Nel is the 59171st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Nel surname appeared 342 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 Nel.

We can also compare 2010 data for Nel 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 Nel

The surname Nel originated in the Netherlands during the Middle Ages, derived from the Old Dutch word "nelle," meaning "near." It was initially used as a locational surname, referring to someone who lived near a specific landmark or geographic feature.

The earliest recorded instances of the Nel surname can be traced back to the 13th century in various Dutch municipalities and provinces, including Utrecht, Gelderland, and North Brabant. Some of the earliest known bearers of this surname were Wouter Nel, mentioned in a land registry from Deventer in 1268, and Hendrik Nel, a landowner in Dordrecht in 1312.

Throughout the centuries, the Nel surname has undergone various spelling variations, such as Nelle, Nellen, and Nellis, reflecting regional dialects and scribal variations. These variations can be found in historical records, including church registers, tax rolls, and census documents.

One notable historical figure bearing the Nel surname was Petrus Nel, a Dutch merchant and explorer born in 1597 in Amsterdam. He was part of the first Dutch expedition to establish a settlement on the island of Mauritius in 1638, serving as the colony's first governor.

Another individual of note was Jan Nel (1673-1744), a prominent Dutch architect who played a significant role in the reconstruction efforts following the devastating fire that ravaged the city of Leiden in 1697. His architectural contributions can still be seen in various buildings throughout the city.

In the 18th century, the Nel surname gained prominence in the Cape Colony (present-day South Africa) due to the migration of Dutch settlers. One of the earliest recorded Nel families in South Africa was that of Johannes Nel, who arrived in the Cape in 1688 and established a farm in the Stellenbosch region.

Other notable individuals with the Nel surname include Marthinus Nel (1785-1858), a South African explorer and frontiersman who played a crucial role in the Great Trek, and Pieter Nel (1837-1917), a Boer military leader who fought against the British during the Second Boer War.

While the Nel surname originated in the Netherlands, it has since spread to other parts of the world, including South Africa, where it remains a prominent Afrikaner surname, as well as countries like the United States, Canada, and Australia, owing to Dutch and South African emigration.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Nel

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

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

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

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