2000
#144,908
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Nerys
Of Welsh origin, a surname derived from the Celtic name "Nerys", meaning "the loved one".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 133 Americans carry the last name Nerys. That puts it at #145,028 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,577,100 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Nerys 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
133
1 in 2,577,100
Census rank
#145,028
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
116
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 116 bearers of the surname Nerys in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 145028th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Nerys, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 77.6%. The next largest groups are White (18.1%) and Black (3.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Nerys
The surname Nerys is believed to have originated in Wales, with its earliest recorded use dating back to the 13th century. It is derived from the Welsh personal name "Nerys," which is thought to stem from the old Welsh name "Nier," meaning "lord" or "chief." The name Nerys was likely a diminutive form of this older name.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Nerys can be found in the Taxatio Ecclesiastica of 1291, which was a survey of ecclesiastical property in Wales. This document mentions a person named "Iorwerth ap Nerys" from the village of Llannerys, indicating that the name was in use at that time.
The surname Nerys has also been associated with the village of Llannerys (sometimes spelled "Llannerch") in Denbighshire, North Wales. This village's name is thought to have originated from the Welsh phrase "Llan Nerys," which translates to "the church of Nerys." It is possible that the surname Nerys may have originated in this area and spread from there.
In the 16th century, there are records of a notable figure named Gruffydd Nerys, who was a Welsh poet and historian. He was born in Llannerys around 1530 and is known for his works on Welsh history and bardic traditions.
Another notable figure with the surname Nerys was Rhys Nerys, a Welsh clergyman and writer who lived in the 17th century. He was born in Llannerys around 1620 and served as the vicar of Llanfair Dyffryn Clwyd.
In the 19th century, there was a Welsh poet and writer named John Nerys (1819-1893), who was born in Denbighshire. He was known for his poems and writings in the Welsh language, and his works helped to preserve and promote Welsh culture and literature.
Other notable individuals with the surname Nerys include Evan Nerys (1845-1920), a Welsh Baptist minister and author, and Gwynedd Nerys (1887-1966), a Welsh language activist and writer who played a significant role in promoting the use of the Welsh language in education and public life.
These are just a few examples of individuals throughout history who have borne the surname Nerys, which has its roots in the ancient Welsh language and culture.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Nerys
Among Census respondents with the surname Nerys, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 77.6%. The next largest groups are White (18.1%) and Black (3.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Nerys 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 Nerys surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino77.6% · 90
- White18.1% · 21
- Black or African American3.4% · 4
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Nerys
Nerys 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
+31 bearers (+29.5%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Up 18,890 places
2020
#145,028
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
-20 bearers (-14.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 19,010 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #144,908 | 105 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #126,018 | 136 | 0.05 | +31 bearers (+29.5%) | Up 18,890 places |
| 2020 | #145,028 | 116 | 0.04 | -20 bearers (-14.7%) | Down 19,010 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 Nerys 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 | #145,028 | -15.1% |
| Count | 136 | 116 | -14.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.04 | -22.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Nerys bearers went from 136 to 116 (-14.7% change). The surname moved down 19,010 positions in the national ranking, going from #126,018 to #145,028.
FAQ
Nerys surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Nerys?
Name Census estimates that about 133 living Americans carry the surname Nerys. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,577,100 residents.
How common is Nerys?
Nerys ranks #145,028 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 116 people with the surname Nerys. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (133), 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 Nerys.
Has Nerys become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Nerys went from 136 recorded bearers to 116. That is a decrease of 20 (-14.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #126,018 to #145,028.
What does the Census say about the background of Nerys?
Among Census respondents with the surname Nerys, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 77.6%. The next largest groups are White (18.1%) and Black (3.4%). 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 Nerys in the 2020 Census, accounting for 77.6% (90 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Nerys appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (77.6%), White (18.1%), Black (3.4%). 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 Nerys (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 Nerys mean?
Of Welsh origin, a surname derived from the Celtic name "Nerys", meaning "the loved one". 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 Nerys (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 last name Nerys?
Find out how many people have the surname Nerys on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.