Nervis last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Nervis

A topographic surname denoting someone who lived near a wooded area.

Nervis, 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 Nervis surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Nervis in America

Nervis is the 115034th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Nervis surname appeared 152 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Nervis.

We can also compare 2010 data for Nervis 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.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 115034 112967 1.81%
Count 152 144 5.41%
Proportion per 100k 0.05 0.05 0.00%

The history of the last name Nervis

The surname NERVIS has its origins in Italy, with roots dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to have originated from the Latin word "nervus," which means "sinew" or "nerve." This suggests that the name may have been associated with individuals who possessed exceptional strength or fortitude.

The earliest known records of the NERVIS surname can be traced back to the 12th century in the region of Piedmont, located in northwestern Italy. It is possible that the name was initially used as a descriptive term to identify someone with a muscular or robust physique.

In the 13th century, the NERVIS name appeared in several historical documents from the city of Genoa, a prominent maritime republic at the time. One notable mention was found in the records of the Genoese merchant guild, which referenced a merchant named Guglielmo NERVIS (born c. 1220).

As the surname spread across Italy, it gained various spellings and regional variations, such as Nervi, Nervio, and Nervini. These variations were often influenced by local dialects and the preferences of scribes who recorded the names.

One of the earliest documented instances of the NERVIS surname outside of Italy can be found in the records of the Spanish Inquisition, where a certain Giovanni NERVIS (born c. 1490) was mentioned as a merchant from Genoa who had settled in Seville.

Throughout the centuries, several individuals bearing the NERVIS surname have achieved prominence in various fields. Notable examples include:

  1. Pietro NERVIS (1501-1578), an Italian architect and engineer known for his innovative structural designs, including the St. Peter's Basilica in Rome.
  2. Emilio NERVIS (1731-1809), an Italian painter and fresco artist who worked extensively in the churches of Turin and Milan.
  3. Giovanna NERVIS (1823-1891), an Italian poet and author whose works explored themes of love, nature, and patriotism.
  4. Enrico NERVIS (1879-1945), an Italian lawyer and politician who served as a member of the Italian Parliament during the early 20th century.
  5. Alessandro NERVIS (1920-2003), an Italian physicist and academic who made significant contributions to the field of particle physics and served as a professor at the University of Milan.

While the NERVIS surname has retained its strong presence in Italy, it has also spread to other parts of the world through migration and cultural exchanges, carrying with it the rich history and heritage of its Italian origins.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Nervis

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

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 Nervis was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic Black Only 89.47% 136
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only 0.00% 0
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.00% 0
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races (S)% (S)
Hispanic Origin 8.55% 13

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 Nervis has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White (S)% (S)% (S)%
Black 89.47% 90.97% -1.66%
Asian and Pacific Islander 0.00% 0.00% 0.00%
American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.00% 0.00% 0.00%
Two or More Races (S)% (S)% (S)%
Hispanic 8.55% 6.25% 31.08%

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

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Nervis, please contact us.

Reference this page

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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!

"Nervis last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on December 22, 2024. http://namecensus.com/last-names/nervis-surname-popularity/.

"Nervis last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/nervis-surname-popularity/. Accessed 22 December, 2024

Nervis last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/nervis-surname-popularity/.

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