2000
#117,538
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 137
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Nesky
An Americanized surname derived from the Polish "Niezki".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 127 Americans carry the last name Nesky. That puts it at #148,665 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,698,853 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Nesky 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
127
1 in 2,698,853
Census rank
#148,665
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
111
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 111 bearers of the surname Nesky in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 148665th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Nesky, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Nesky
The surname Nesky has its origins in the Slavic regions of Eastern Europe, particularly in the areas that are now modern-day Poland and Ukraine. It is believed to have emerged sometime in the 13th or 14th century, derived from the Old Slavic word "neskyi," which translates to "not from here" or "foreign."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Nesky can be found in a Polish land registry document from the late 15th century, where it is listed as "Neski." This suggests that the name may have initially been associated with individuals who were perceived as outsiders or immigrants in the local community.
In the 16th century, variations of the name, such as "Neskij" and "Neskiy," appeared in historical records across various regions of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, which at the time encompassed large parts of modern-day Belarus, Latvia, and Ukraine.
The name gained some prominence in the 17th century when a notable Polish scholar and writer, Jan Nesky (1610-1678), published several works on philosophy and theology. His writings were influential in shaping intellectual discourse during that period.
Another historically significant figure bearing the Nesky surname was Yurii Nesky (1745-1821), a Ukrainian military leader who played a pivotal role in the defense of the Black Sea region against Ottoman forces during the Russo-Turkish Wars of the late 18th century.
In the 19th century, the name Nesky was found in various records across Eastern Europe, including census documents and parish registers. One notable individual from this era was Andrei Nesky (1825-1892), a Russian industrialist and philanthropist who made significant contributions to the development of the mining industry in the Ural region.
As the 20th century dawned, the name Nesky continued to be present in various parts of Eastern Europe, with individuals bearing this surname making their mark in fields such as academia, arts, and politics. Vera Nesky (1901-1978), for instance, was a renowned Ukrainian painter whose works captured the vibrant culture and landscapes of her homeland.
Throughout its history, the surname Nesky has remained relatively uncommon, but its roots can be traced back to the rich cultural heritage of the Slavic regions, where it originated as a descriptor for those perceived as outsiders or foreigners in a particular community.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Nesky
Among Census respondents with the surname Nesky, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Nesky 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 Nesky surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.6% · 105
- Two or more races2.7% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.8% · 2
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Nesky
Nesky 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
#123,064
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 140
+3 bearers (+2.2%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Down 5,526 places
2020
#148,665
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
-29 bearers (-20.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 25,601 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #117,538 | 137 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #123,064 | 140 | 0.05 | +3 bearers (+2.2%) | Down 5,526 places |
| 2020 | #148,665 | 111 | 0.04 | -29 bearers (-20.7%) | Down 25,601 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 Nesky 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 | #123,064 | #148,665 | -20.8% |
| Count | 140 | 111 | -20.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.04 | -25.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Nesky bearers went from 140 to 111 (-20.7% change). The surname moved down 25,601 positions in the national ranking, going from #123,064 to #148,665.
FAQ
Nesky surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Nesky?
Name Census estimates that about 127 living Americans carry the surname Nesky. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,698,853 residents.
How common is Nesky?
Nesky ranks #148,665 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 111 people with the surname Nesky. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (127), 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 Nesky.
Has Nesky become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Nesky went from 140 recorded bearers to 111. That is a decrease of 29 (-20.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #123,064 to #148,665.
What does the Census say about the background of Nesky?
Among Census respondents with the surname Nesky, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.8%). 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 Nesky in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.6% (105 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Nesky appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.6%), Two or More Races (2.7%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.8%). 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 Nesky (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 Nesky mean?
An Americanized surname derived from the Polish "Niezki". 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 Nesky (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 Americans have the surname Nesky?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.