2000
#105,374
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 157
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.06
Very Rare Last name
Nesland
A Norwegian surname derived from the Old Norse word "nes" meaning headland or promontory.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 178 Americans carry the last name Nesland. That puts it at #118,445 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.05 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,925,586 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Nesland 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
178
1 in 1,925,586
Census rank
#118,445
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
155
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 155 bearers of the surname Nesland in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.05 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 118445th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Nesland, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Nesland
The surname Nesland is of Norwegian origin, tracing its roots back to the medieval period. It is believed to have originated from a place name, possibly derived from the Old Norse words "nes," meaning a promontory or headland, and "land," referring to a piece of land or territory.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Nesland surname can be found in the Diplomatarium Norvegicum, a collection of Norwegian medieval diplomatic documents. In this work, a person named Thorstein Nesland is mentioned in a document dated around 1350, suggesting that the name was already in use by that time.
During the late medieval and early modern periods, the Nesland name was particularly prevalent in the western regions of Norway, particularly in the counties of Rogaland and Hordaland. This geographic concentration suggests that the name may have originated from a specific locality or farm in these areas.
Notable individuals bearing the Nesland surname include Ingeborg Nesland (1615-1683), a Norwegian landowner and political figure who played a role in the Hanseatic League's activities in Bergen. Another prominent figure was Hans Nesland (1771-1845), a Norwegian merchant and ship owner who contributed significantly to the development of the maritime trade in the region.
In the 19th century, the Nesland surname gained international recognition through the work of the Norwegian-American author and journalist Johannes Nesland (1854-1919). Born in Norway, Nesland emigrated to the United States in the late 19th century and became a prominent figure in the Norwegian-American community, writing extensively about the immigrant experience.
Another individual of note was the Norwegian architect and artist Olav Nesland (1889-1973), whose works included the design of several notable buildings in Oslo, as well as various public sculptures and monuments.
While the Nesland surname has its origins in Norway, it has since spread to other parts of the world through immigration and cultural exchange. However, the name remains deeply rooted in its Norwegian heritage, reflecting the rich history and cultural traditions of the region from which it originated.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Nesland
Among Census respondents with the surname Nesland, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Nesland 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 Nesland surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.2% · 146
- Hispanic or Latino1.9% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.9% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.3% · 2
- Two or more races0.6% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Nesland
Nesland 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
#110,825
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 159
+2 bearers (+1.3%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Down 5,451 places
2020
#118,445
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 155
-4 bearers (-2.5%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Down 7,620 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #105,374 | 157 | 0.06 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #110,825 | 159 | 0.05 | +2 bearers (+1.3%) | Down 5,451 places |
| 2020 | #118,445 | 155 | 0.05 | -4 bearers (-2.5%) | Down 7,620 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 Nesland 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 | #110,825 | #118,445 | -6.9% |
| Count | 159 | 155 | -2.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.05 | 3.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Nesland bearers went from 159 to 155 (-2.5% change). The surname moved down 7,620 positions in the national ranking, going from #110,825 to #118,445.
FAQ
Nesland surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Nesland?
Name Census estimates that about 178 living Americans carry the surname Nesland. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,925,586 residents.
How common is Nesland?
Nesland ranks #118,445 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.05 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 155 people with the surname Nesland. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (178), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.05 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.05 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 Nesland.
Has Nesland become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Nesland went from 159 recorded bearers to 155. That is a decrease of 4 (-2.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #110,825 to #118,445.
What does the Census say about the background of Nesland?
Among Census respondents with the surname Nesland, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.9%). 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 Nesland in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.2% (146 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Nesland appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.2%), Hispanic (1.9%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.9%). 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 Nesland (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 Nesland mean?
A Norwegian surname derived from the Old Norse word "nes" meaning headland or promontory. 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 Nesland (0.05 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 Nesland?
You can see how many people have the surname Nesland on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.