2000
#129,619
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Nerios
A surname derived from the Greek word "nerios" meaning youthful or of a young man.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 130 Americans carry the last name Nerios. That puts it at #147,221 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,636,572 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Nerios 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
130
1 in 2,636,572
Census rank
#147,221
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
113
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 113 bearers of the surname Nerios in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147221st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Nerios, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 85.8%. The next largest groups are White (12.4%) and Black (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Nerios
The surname "NERIOS" is thought to have originated in Greece, with its roots dating back to the 15th century. It is believed to be derived from the Greek word "neros," which means "water" or "stream," suggesting that the earliest bearers of this name may have lived near bodies of water or worked in occupations related to water, such as fishing or sailing.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the archives of the city of Athens, where a merchant named Georgios Nerios was mentioned in a trade document from the year 1472. This suggests that the name had already been established by that time and was likely in use among Greek families for several generations prior.
In the 16th century, the name appears to have spread to other parts of the Mediterranean region, particularly Italy and Spain. In 1543, a Venetian navigator named Marco Nerios was recorded as having led an expedition to the Aegean Sea, indicating that the name had gained recognition beyond its original Greek roots.
During the 17th century, the Nerios surname began to appear in historical records across Europe, as Greeks and other Mediterranean peoples migrated to various parts of the continent. One notable figure from this era was Petros Nerios, a Greek scholar and philosopher who taught at the University of Padua in Italy from 1628 to 1647.
As the centuries progressed, the Nerios name continued to be carried by individuals of Greek descent, as well as those who had adopted the surname through marriage or other means. In the 19th century, a Greek military officer named Konstantinos Nerios (1802-1876) gained prominence for his role in the Greek War of Independence against the Ottoman Empire.
Other notable individuals with the Nerios surname include:
1. Ioannis Nerios (1854-1932), a Greek politician and diplomat who served as Prime Minister of Greece from 1928 to 1929.
2. Eleni Nerios (1901-1988), a Greek artist and painter known for her vibrant depictions of Mediterranean landscapes and daily life.
3. Alexandros Nerios (1922-2001), a renowned Greek architect who designed several iconic buildings in Athens and other cities.
4. Nikos Nerios (born 1958), a contemporary Greek author and poet whose works have been translated into multiple languages.
5. Maria Nerios (born 1975), a Greek-American actress and filmmaker who has appeared in various television shows and independent films.
While the Nerios surname has its roots in Greece, it has since spread to various parts of the world, carried by individuals of Greek descent and those who have adopted the name through marriage or other circumstances.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Nerios
Among Census respondents with the surname Nerios, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 85.8%. The next largest groups are White (12.4%) and Black (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Nerios 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 Nerios surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino85.8% · 97
- White12.4% · 14
- Black or African American1.8% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Nerios
Nerios 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
#126,018
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 136
+15 bearers (+12.4%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Up 3,601 places
2020
#147,221
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
-23 bearers (-16.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 21,203 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #129,619 | 121 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #126,018 | 136 | 0.05 | +15 bearers (+12.4%) | Up 3,601 places |
| 2020 | #147,221 | 113 | 0.04 | -23 bearers (-16.9%) | Down 21,203 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 Nerios 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 | #126,018 | #147,221 | -16.8% |
| Count | 136 | 113 | -16.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.04 | -24.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Nerios bearers went from 136 to 113 (-16.9% change). The surname moved down 21,203 positions in the national ranking, going from #126,018 to #147,221.
FAQ
Nerios surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Nerios?
Name Census estimates that about 130 living Americans carry the surname Nerios. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,636,572 residents.
How common is Nerios?
Nerios ranks #147,221 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 113 people with the surname Nerios. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (130), 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 Nerios.
Has Nerios become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Nerios went from 136 recorded bearers to 113. That is a decrease of 23 (-16.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #126,018 to #147,221.
What does the Census say about the background of Nerios?
Among Census respondents with the surname Nerios, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 85.8%. The next largest groups are White (12.4%) and Black (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?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Nerios in the 2020 Census, accounting for 85.8% (97 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Nerios appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (85.8%), White (12.4%), Black (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 Nerios (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 Nerios mean?
A surname derived from the Greek word "nerios" meaning youthful or of a young man. 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 Nerios (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 people have the surname Nerios?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.