2000
#140,756
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Nellor
A locational surname originating from the town of Nellore in Andhra Pradesh, India.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 126 Americans carry the last name Nellor. That puts it at #149,446 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,720,273 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Nellor 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
126
1 in 2,720,273
Census rank
#149,446
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
110
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 110 bearers of the surname Nellor in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 149446th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Nellor, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) and Two or More Races (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Nellor
The surname Nellor is believed to have originated in the Indian subcontinent, specifically in the region of Andhra Pradesh, where the city of Nellore is located. This place name, which dates back to the 12th century, is thought to be derived from the Telugu words "Nalla" meaning "paddy" and "Ooroo" meaning "village" or "town," suggesting that the area was known for its rice cultivation.
The earliest known records of the surname Nellor can be traced back to the 16th century, when it appeared in various historical documents related to the Vijayanagar Empire, which ruled over a significant portion of southern India at the time. One notable example is the inscription found on the walls of the Hazara Rama Temple in Hampi, which mentions a individual named "Nellor Venkata Reddy" who served as a high-ranking official in the imperial court.
In the 17th century, the Nellor surname appears to have gained prominence among the landed gentry and nobility of the Nellore region. Several families with this surname were recorded as owning vast tracts of land and wielding considerable influence in the local affairs of the time. One such notable figure was Nellor Ranga Rao, a wealthy landlord and philanthropist who lived during the latter half of the 17th century and was known for his contributions to the construction of temples and educational institutions in the area.
As trade and migration increased between India and other parts of the world during the colonial era, the Nellor surname began to spread beyond its place of origin. In the 19th century, there are records of individuals with this surname settling in various British colonies, including South Africa and Malaysia. One such individual was Nellor Mudaliar, a successful merchant and trader who established a thriving business in Kuala Lumpur in the late 1800s.
Another notable bearer of the Nellor surname was Sir Nellor Venkatarama Reddy, a prominent lawyer and judge who served as the first Indian Chief Justice of the Madras High Court in the early 20th century (1907-1912). He was widely respected for his legal acumen and contributions to the judicial system during the British Raj.
Throughout history, the Nellor surname has been associated with various fields, including agriculture, commerce, law, and public service. While the name has its roots in the Nellore region of Andhra Pradesh, it has since spread to other parts of India and across the globe, carried by individuals who have made their mark in various walks of life.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Nellor
Among Census respondents with the surname Nellor, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) and Two or More Races (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Nellor 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 Nellor surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.7% · 102
- Hispanic or Latino3.6% · 4
- Two or more races1.8% · 2
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Nellor
Nellor 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
#144,141
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
+6 bearers (+5.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 3,385 places
2020
#149,446
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
-5 bearers (-4.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 5,305 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #140,756 | 109 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #144,141 | 115 | 0.04 | +6 bearers (+5.5%) | Down 3,385 places |
| 2020 | #149,446 | 110 | 0.04 | -5 bearers (-4.3%) | Down 5,305 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 Nellor 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 | #144,141 | #149,446 | -3.7% |
| Count | 115 | 110 | -4.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -8.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Nellor bearers went from 115 to 110 (-4.3% change). The surname moved down 5,305 positions in the national ranking, going from #144,141 to #149,446.
FAQ
Nellor surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Nellor?
Name Census estimates that about 126 living Americans carry the surname Nellor. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,720,273 residents.
How common is Nellor?
Nellor ranks #149,446 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 110 people with the surname Nellor. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (126), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Nellor.
Has Nellor become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Nellor went from 115 recorded bearers to 110. That is a decrease of 5 (-4.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #144,141 to #149,446.
What does the Census say about the background of Nellor?
Among Census respondents with the surname Nellor, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) and Two or More Races (1.8%). 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 Nellor in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.7% (102 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Nellor appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.7%), Hispanic (3.6%), Two or More Races (1.8%). 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 Nellor (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 Nellor mean?
A locational surname originating from the town of Nellore in Andhra Pradesh, India. 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 Nellor (0.04 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 many Americans have the surname Nellor?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.