2000
#10,483
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,810
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.04
Rare Last name
Nellis
Derived from a medieval form of Neil, which ultimately comes from the Gaelic name Niall, meaning "champion."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,050 Americans carry the last name Nellis. That puts it at #11,338 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.89 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 112,378 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Nellis 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Nellis with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.0K
1 in 112,378
Census rank
#11,338
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.7K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,660 bearers of the surname Nellis in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.89 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 11338th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Nellis, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.6%) and Two or More Races (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Nellis
The surname Nellis is believed to have originated in Germany. It is thought to have derived from the German word "Nelle," which means "daffodil" or "narcissus." The surname may have initially been used as a descriptive name for someone who lived near a field of daffodils or as a nickname for someone with a fondness for the flower.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Kirchenbuch (church records) of Wittenberg, Germany, from the 16th century. In 1572, a man named Hans Nellis was listed as a resident of the city. This suggests that the name was already in use by that time.
Another early reference to the name can be found in the records of the town of Torgau, Germany, where a family with the surname Nellis was documented in the late 16th century. The name may have originated in this region before spreading to other parts of Germany.
In the 17th century, the name appeared in various records across Germany, including birth, marriage, and death registers. This indicates that the surname was becoming more established during this period.
One notable figure with the surname Nellis was Johann Nellis, a German Lutheran theologian and poet who lived from 1582 to 1631. He served as a pastor in Wittenberg and authored several religious works.
Another individual of note was Johann Jacob Nellis, a German artist and engraver who lived from 1715 to 1782. He was known for his etchings and engravings, many of which depicted landscapes and scenes from classical mythology.
In the 18th century, the surname Nellis began to spread beyond Germany. Records show families with this name settling in various parts of Europe, including the Netherlands and England.
One example is William Nellis, an English composer and organist who lived from 1743 to 1816. He was best known for his compositions for the church and his work as an organist in London.
In the 19th century, the surname Nellis began to appear in North America, likely as a result of German immigration. One notable figure from this period was John Nellis, an American politician and lawyer who lived from 1799 to 1865. He served as a member of the New York State Assembly and was involved in the anti-rent movement in upstate New York.
Another individual of note was James Nellis, an American businessman and philanthropist who lived from 1823 to 1908. He founded the Nellis & Co. iron and steel company in Philadelphia and donated money to various educational and charitable causes.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Nellis
Among Census respondents with the surname Nellis, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.6%) and Two or More Races (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Nellis 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 Nellis surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.7% · 2,385
- Hispanic or Latino4.6% · 123
- Two or more races2.8% · 75
- Black or African American1.6% · 43
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 22
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 12
Timeline
Historical Census data for Nellis
Nellis 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
#10,603
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,020
+210 bearers (+7.5%)
Per 100,000 1.02
Rank movement Down 120 places
2020
#11,338
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,660
-360 bearers (-11.9%)
Per 100,000 0.89
Rank movement Down 735 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #10,483 | 2,810 | 1.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,603 | 3,020 | 1.02 | +210 bearers (+7.5%) | Down 120 places |
| 2020 | #11,338 | 2,660 | 0.89 | -360 bearers (-11.9%) | Down 735 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 Nellis 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 | #10,603 | #11,338 | -6.9% |
| Count | 3,020 | 2,660 | -11.9% |
| Per 100K | 1.02 | 0.89 | -12.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Nellis bearers went from 3,020 to 2,660 (-11.9% change). The surname moved down 735 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,603 to #11,338.
FAQ
Nellis surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Nellis?
Name Census estimates that about 3,050 living Americans carry the surname Nellis. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 112,378 residents.
How common is Nellis?
Nellis ranks #11,338 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.89 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 2,660 people with the surname Nellis. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,050), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.89 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.89 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 Nellis.
Has Nellis become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Nellis went from 3,020 recorded bearers to 2,660. That is a decrease of 360 (-11.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #10,603 to #11,338.
What does the Census say about the background of Nellis?
Among Census respondents with the surname Nellis, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.6%) and Two or More Races (2.8%). 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 Nellis in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.7% (2,385 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Nellis appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.7%), Hispanic (4.6%), Two or More Races (2.8%). 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 Nellis (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 Nellis mean?
Derived from a medieval form of Neil, which ultimately comes from the Gaelic name Niall, meaning "champion." 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 Nellis (0.89 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 Nellis?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how common the surname Nellis is at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.