2000
#4,698
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,898
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.56
Rare Last name
Nesmith
An English occupational surname referring to someone who lived near or worked at a smithy.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 7,581 Americans carry the last name Nesmith. That puts it at #5,122 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.21 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 45,212 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Nesmith 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
7.6K
1 in 45,212
Census rank
#5,122
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
6.6K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 6,611 bearers of the surname Nesmith in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.21 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 5122nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Nesmith, the largest self-reported group is White at 48.4%. The next largest groups are Black (41.2%) and Hispanic (4.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Nesmith
The surname Nesmith has its origins in England, with records indicating its presence as early as the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "niwu" and "smiþ," meaning "new" and "smith" respectively. This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who was a new or recent blacksmith in their community.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Nesmith surname can be found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which were a collection of administrative records from various counties in England. Here, the name appeared as "Neuesmyth." This spelling variation provides insight into the evolution of the name over time.
In the 14th century, the Nesmith surname appeared in various records, including the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379, where it was listed as "Newsmyth." This further reinforces the connection between the name and the occupation of blacksmithing.
During the 16th century, a notable figure bearing the Nesmith surname was Rowland Nesmith, who was born in England around 1520. He was a member of the Worshipful Company of Blacksmiths, a prestigious guild in London.
The 17th century saw the emergence of the Nesmith family in the American colonies. One of the earliest documented individuals was Thomas Nesmith, who arrived in Virginia in 1635 and later settled in Massachusetts. His descendants played significant roles in the colonial and revolutionary eras.
In the 18th century, a prominent individual with the Nesmith surname was James Nesmith, born in 1740 in Massachusetts. He served as a lieutenant in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War and later became a respected judge and politician in New Hampshire.
The 19th century witnessed the rise of several notable figures bearing the Nesmith name. One such individual was John Nesmith, born in 1793 in New Hampshire. He was a successful businessman and philanthropist who established the Nesmith Free Library in his hometown.
Another prominent figure from this era was James Willis Nesmith, born in 1820 in New Hampshire. He was a lawyer, politician, and military officer who served as a United States Senator from Oregon and played a crucial role in the establishment of Oregon's statehood.
In the 20th century, the Nesmith surname continued to be represented by accomplished individuals, including actress and singer Carly Nesmith, born in 1944, and musician Michael Nesmith, born in 1942, who rose to fame as a member of the popular band The Monkees.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Nesmith
Among Census respondents with the surname Nesmith, the largest self-reported group is White at 48.4%. The next largest groups are Black (41.2%) and Hispanic (4.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Nesmith 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 Nesmith surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White48.4% · 3,203
- Black or African American41.2% · 2,726
- Hispanic or Latino4.9% · 321
- Two or more races4.5% · 295
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 45
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 21
Timeline
Historical Census data for Nesmith
Nesmith 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
#4,955
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,097
+199 bearers (+2.9%)
Per 100,000 2.41
Rank movement Down 257 places
2020
#5,122
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,611
-486 bearers (-6.8%)
Per 100,000 2.21
Rank movement Down 167 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,698 | 6,898 | 2.56 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #4,955 | 7,097 | 2.41 | +199 bearers (+2.9%) | Down 257 places |
| 2020 | #5,122 | 6,611 | 2.21 | -486 bearers (-6.8%) | Down 167 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 Nesmith 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 | #4,955 | #5,122 | -3.4% |
| Count | 7,097 | 6,611 | -6.8% |
| Per 100K | 2.41 | 2.21 | -8.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Nesmith bearers went from 7,097 to 6,611 (-6.8% change). The surname moved down 167 positions in the national ranking, going from #4,955 to #5,122.
FAQ
Nesmith surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Nesmith?
Name Census estimates that about 7,581 living Americans carry the surname Nesmith. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 45,212 residents.
How common is Nesmith?
Nesmith ranks #5,122 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.21 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 6,611 people with the surname Nesmith. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (7,581), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.21 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.21 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 Nesmith.
Has Nesmith become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Nesmith went from 7,097 recorded bearers to 6,611. That is a decrease of 486 (-6.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #4,955 to #5,122.
What does the Census say about the background of Nesmith?
Among Census respondents with the surname Nesmith, the largest self-reported group is White at 48.4%. The next largest groups are Black (41.2%) and Hispanic (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 Nesmith in the 2020 Census, accounting for 48.4% (3,203 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Nesmith appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (48.4%), Black (41.2%), Hispanic (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 Nesmith (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 Nesmith mean?
An English occupational surname referring to someone who lived near or worked at a smithy. 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 Nesmith (2.21 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 Nesmith?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.