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

Nesbitt, 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 Nesbitt surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Nesbitt in America

Nesbitt is the 2717th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Nesbitt surname appeared 13,248 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 4 people would have the surname Nesbitt.

We can also compare 2010 data for Nesbitt 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.

The history of the last name Nesbitt

The surname Nesbitt is of Scottish origin and dates back to the 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "nesse," meaning nose or promontory, and "bitt," meaning a bite or piece. The name likely referred to someone who lived near a distinctive nose-shaped headland or promontory.

The Nesbitt surname is first recorded in the early 13th century in the county of Berwickshire, which lies along the Scottish-English border. Variations of the spelling include Nesbitt, Nesbit, Nisbett, and Niesbit. The name is also associated with several place names, such as Nesbit in Northumberland, England, and Nesbitt in County Durham, England.

One of the earliest recorded Nesbitts is Sir William de Nesbyt, who was a Scottish knight and landowner in the late 13th century. He is mentioned in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which recorded those who pledged allegiance to King Edward I of England.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Nesbitt family held lands in various parts of Scotland, including Berwickshire, East Lothian, and Roxburghshire. Notable figures include James Nesbitt (1610-1672), a Scottish minister and theologian who served as the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland in 1661.

In the 18th century, Robert Nesbitt (1707-1783) was a prominent Scottish merchant and banker in London. He was instrumental in establishing the British Linen Company, one of the earliest commercial banks in Scotland.

The 19th century saw several notable Nesbitts, including Louisa Cranstoun Nisbett (1812-1858), a Scottish writer and poet. Her works included "Poems, Scriptural and Miscellaneous" and "The Cairngorm Mountains."

Another notable figure was Sir John Nesbitt (1869-1945), a British colonial administrator who served as the Governor of the Leeward Islands from 1913 to 1919 and as the Governor of Nigeria from 1919 to 1925.

During the 20th century, Kathleen Nesbitt (1888-1968) was a British artist and illustrator known for her depictions of children's literature characters, including those from the works of Lewis Carroll and J.M. Barrie.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Nesbitt

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

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 Nesbitt was:

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

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

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

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