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

Nell, 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 Nell surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Nell in America

Nell is the 14378th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Nell surname appeared 2,079 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Nell.

We can also compare 2010 data for Nell 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 Nell

The surname NELL originates from England and can be traced back to the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "nell" or "nellin," which meant "small" or "tiny." This suggests that the name was initially a nickname for someone who was short in stature or perhaps a descriptive term for a child.

In the medieval period, surnames were often derived from physical characteristics, occupations, or places of origin. The NELL surname likely began as a descriptive nickname that eventually became hereditary within families.

One of the earliest known references to the NELL surname can be found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which were records of landholders and their holdings in various English counties. The entry "Robertus Nell" is listed among the residents of Oxfordshire at that time.

Another early record of the name appears in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327, where a "Willelmus Nelle" is mentioned as a taxpayer. This spelling variation, "Nelle," was common in the early days of the surname's usage.

The NELL surname has also been connected to several place names in England, such as Nell Bridge in Yorkshire and Nell Tor in Derbyshire. These locations may have influenced the surname's development or vice versa.

Notable individuals with the NELL surname throughout history include:

1. Thomas Nell (c. 1673-1743), an English printer and publisher who was active in London during the early 18th century.
2. William Cornwallis Nell (1816-1874), an American abolitionist, author, and civil rights pioneer born in Boston, Massachusetts.
3. Walter Nell (1887-1955), a British painter and illustrator known for his landscapes and scenes of rural life.
4. Edwin Nell (1892-1957), a German actor and film director who appeared in several popular films during the Weimar Republic era.
5. James Nell (1923-2000), an Australian cricketer who played for New South Wales and represented Australia in Test matches during the 1950s.

While the NELL surname may have humble beginnings as a descriptive nickname, it has endured for centuries and been carried by individuals from various walks of life, contributing to the rich tapestry of human history.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Nell

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

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

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Nell, 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!