2000
#6,802
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,565
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.69
Rare Last name
Nesbit
Derived from a place name meaning "nose bit," likely referring to a distinguishing facial feature or nickname.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,378 Americans carry the last name Nesbit. That puts it at #6,900 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.57 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 63,733 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Nesbit 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Nesbit with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
5.4K
1 in 63,733
Census rank
#6,900
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.7K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,690 bearers of the surname Nesbit in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.57 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6900th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Nesbit, the largest self-reported group is White at 64.7%. The next largest groups are Black (25.6%) and Two or More Races (4.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Nesbit
The surname Nesbit is believed to have originated in Scotland, derived from the Old English words "nest" and "byt," meaning "a dwelling near a nest or hill." It is thought to have been initially used as a locational name, referring to someone who lived near a prominent hill or nest.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the Nesbit name can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a historical document containing the names of Scottish landowners who swore fealty to Edward I of England. This suggests that the name was well-established in Scotland by the late 13th century.
The Nesbit family held lands in various parts of Scotland, including Berwickshire and Roxburghshire. In the 14th century, Sir William Nesbit was a prominent figure who fought alongside Robert the Bruce during the Scottish Wars of Independence. He was granted lands in Dalkeith for his loyalty and bravery.
In the 16th century, the Nesbits of Dalkeith played a significant role in Scottish history. Sir Alexander Nesbit (c. 1530-1590) was a staunch supporter of the Protestant Reformation and served as a Lord of the Congregation during the Scottish Reformation.
Another notable figure was Sir Patrick Nesbit (1566-1624), who was appointed Lord Advocate of Scotland in 1619 and played a crucial role in the negotiations between King James VI of Scotland (later James I of England) and the Scottish Parliament.
The Nesbit name also spread to other parts of the British Isles, including England and Ireland. One notable English bearer of the name was Edith Nesbit (1858-1924), a renowned children's author who wrote classic works such as "The Railway Children" and "Five Children and It."
In Ireland, the Nesbit name is often spelled as "Nesbitt," and several prominent individuals have borne this variation. These include James Nesbitt (born 1965), a renowned actor known for his roles in films and television shows such as "Bloody Sunday" and "Cold Feet."
While the Nesbit surname has its roots in Scotland, it has since spread worldwide, with bearers of the name contributing to various fields, including literature, law, and the arts.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Nesbit
Among Census respondents with the surname Nesbit, the largest self-reported group is White at 64.7%. The next largest groups are Black (25.6%) and Two or More Races (4.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Nesbit 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 Nesbit surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White64.7% · 3,034
- Black or African American25.6% · 1,202
- Two or more races4.9% · 230
- Hispanic or Latino3.0% · 143
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 49
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 32
Timeline
Historical Census data for Nesbit
Nesbit 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
#7,021
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,765
+200 bearers (+4.4%)
Per 100,000 1.62
Rank movement Down 219 places
2020
#6,900
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,690
-75 bearers (-1.6%)
Per 100,000 1.57
Rank movement Up 121 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,802 | 4,565 | 1.69 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,021 | 4,765 | 1.62 | +200 bearers (+4.4%) | Down 219 places |
| 2020 | #6,900 | 4,690 | 1.57 | -75 bearers (-1.6%) | Up 121 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 Nesbit 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 | #7,021 | #6,900 | 1.7% |
| Count | 4,765 | 4,690 | -1.6% |
| Per 100K | 1.62 | 1.57 | -3.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Nesbit bearers went from 4,765 to 4,690 (-1.6% change). The surname moved up 121 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,021 to #6,900.
FAQ
Nesbit surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Nesbit?
Name Census estimates that about 5,378 living Americans carry the surname Nesbit. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 63,733 residents.
How common is Nesbit?
Nesbit ranks #6,900 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.57 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 4,690 people with the surname Nesbit. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,378), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.57 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.57 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Nesbit.
Has Nesbit become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Nesbit went from 4,765 recorded bearers to 4,690. That is a decrease of 75 (-1.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #7,021 to #6,900.
What does the Census say about the background of Nesbit?
Among Census respondents with the surname Nesbit, the largest self-reported group is White at 64.7%. The next largest groups are Black (25.6%) and Two or More Races (4.9%). 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 Nesbit in the 2020 Census, accounting for 64.7% (3,034 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Nesbit appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (64.7%), Black (25.6%), Two or More Races (4.9%). 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 Nesbit (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 Nesbit mean?
Derived from a place name meaning "nose bit," likely referring to a distinguishing facial feature or nickname. 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 Nesbit (1.57 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 are called Nesbit?
If you just want to know how common the surname Nesbit is, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.