2010
#157,234
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.03
Very Rare Last name
Nerlinger
A locational surname denoting someone from a place called Nernlingen in Germany.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 116 Americans carry the last name Nerlinger. That puts it at #155,270 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,954,779 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Nerlinger 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
116
1 in 2,954,779
Census rank
#155,270
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
101
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 101 bearers of the surname Nerlinger in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 155270th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Nerlinger, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Nerlinger
The surname NERLINGER has its origins in Germany, with the earliest records dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to have originated from the region of Bavaria, where it was likely derived from a combination of the German words "ner" meaning "near" and "ling" meaning "meadow" or "field." This suggests that the name may have initially been used to describe someone who lived near a meadow or field.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name NERLINGER can be found in the Bavarian town records of Augsburg, where a Johann Nerlinger was listed as a resident in 1567. The name also appears in various parish registers and church records throughout the 17th and 18th centuries, with variations in spelling such as Nerlinger, Nerrlinger, and Nörlinger.
During the 18th century, the NERLINGER name gained some prominence with the birth of Johann Christoph Nerlinger (1720-1789), a German composer and organist who served as the court Kapellmeister in Stuttgart. His compositions, which included sacred works and instrumental pieces, were widely performed and appreciated during his lifetime.
Another notable figure with the NERLINGER surname was Karl Nerlinger (1805-1876), a German politician and lawyer who served as a member of the Frankfurt Parliament during the revolutions of 1848-1849. He was a strong advocate for democratic reforms and played a significant role in the political debates of that era.
In the late 19th century, the NERLINGER name appeared in the records of the small town of Neuburg an der Donau, where a family of Nerlingers were known to be respected merchants and landowners. One member of this family, Heinrich Nerlinger (1842-1910), was a prominent figure in the town's civic affairs and served as the mayor for several years.
As the 20th century dawned, the NERLINGER name continued to spread throughout Germany and beyond. One notable individual was Hans Nerlinger (1890-1968), a German artist and painter who was known for his expressionist works and landscapes. His paintings were exhibited in several galleries across Europe and are now part of various museum collections.
Throughout its history, the surname NERLINGER has been carried by individuals from diverse backgrounds and professions, each contributing to the rich tapestry of its legacy. While the name may have originated from humble beginnings, it has since become a part of the cultural heritage of Germany and a testament to the enduring influence of surnames in tracing family histories and cultural roots.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Nerlinger
Among Census respondents with the surname Nerlinger, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Nerlinger 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 Nerlinger surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.1% · 95
- Hispanic or Latino2.0% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.0% · 2
- Two or more races2.0% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Nerlinger
Nerlinger appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#155,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101
-2 bearers (-1.9%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Up 1,964 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #157,234 | 103 | 0.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #155,270 | 101 | 0.03 | -2 bearers (-1.9%) | Up 1,964 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 Nerlinger 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 | #157,234 | #155,270 | 1.2% |
| Count | 103 | 101 | -1.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.03 | 12.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Nerlinger bearers went from 103 to 101 (-1.9% change). The surname moved up 1,964 positions in the national ranking, going from #157,234 to #155,270.
FAQ
Nerlinger surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Nerlinger?
Name Census estimates that about 116 living Americans carry the surname Nerlinger. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,954,779 residents.
How common is Nerlinger?
Nerlinger ranks #155,270 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 101 people with the surname Nerlinger. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (116), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Nerlinger.
Has Nerlinger become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Nerlinger went from 103 recorded bearers to 101. That is a decrease of 2 (-1.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #157,234 to #155,270.
What does the Census say about the background of Nerlinger?
Among Census respondents with the surname Nerlinger, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.0%). 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 Nerlinger in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.1% (95 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Nerlinger appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.1%), Hispanic (2.0%), Asian/Pacific Islander (2.0%). 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 Nerlinger (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 Nerlinger mean?
A locational surname denoting someone from a place called Nernlingen in Germany. 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 Nerlinger (0.03 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 Nerlinger?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.