2010
#151,532
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Nessan
Irish surname derived from the personal name Naessán, meaning "little no" or "little denial."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 131 Americans carry the last name Nessan. That puts it at #146,495 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,616,445 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Nessan 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
131
1 in 2,616,445
Census rank
#146,495
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
114
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 114 bearers of the surname Nessan in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 146495th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Nessan, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.1%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (4.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Nessan
The surname "NESSAN" is believed to have originated in Ireland, with roots dating back to the Middle Ages. The name is thought to be derived from the Irish Gaelic word "neasán," which means "little nest" or "little dwelling." It likely referred to someone who lived in a small house or a remote location.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name "NESSAN" can be found in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history compiled in the early 17th century. The annals mention a man named Domhnall Ó Neasáin, who was a chieftain of the Uí Néill clan in the 13th century.
In the 14th century, the name "NESSAN" appeared in the form "Ó Neasáin" in various Irish records, such as the Annals of Ulster and the Book of Leinster. This suggests that the surname was well-established in Ireland by that time.
A notable figure bearing the name "NESSAN" was Seán Ó Neasáin (1587-1667), an Irish Franciscan friar and historian who wrote extensively about the history and antiquities of Ireland. His works, including the "Life of St. Patrick" and the "Annals of Ireland," are valuable sources of information about Irish history and culture.
Another distinguished individual with the surname "NESSAN" was Séamus Ó Neasáin (1691-1773), an Irish poet and scribe from County Sligo. He is renowned for his collection of Irish poetry, known as the "Book of Séamus Ó Neasáin," which preserves many traditional Irish songs and verses.
In the 19th century, Tomás Ó Neasáin (1827-1898) was a prominent Irish scholar and lexicographer. He compiled one of the earliest modern Irish-English dictionaries, which helped to preserve and promote the Irish language.
The surname "NESSAN" has also been associated with several place names in Ireland, such as Ballynessan (meaning "town of the Nessans") and Ballynessane (derived from "Baile Uí Neasáin," meaning "town of the O'Nessans").
While the surname "NESSAN" is relatively uncommon today, it continues to be a proud part of Irish heritage and history, reflecting the rich cultural traditions and linguistic diversity of the Emerald Isle.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Nessan
Among Census respondents with the surname Nessan, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.1%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (4.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Nessan 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 Nessan surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White86.0% · 98
- Two or more races6.1% · 7
- Asian and Pacific Islander4.4% · 5
- Hispanic or Latino1.8% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.8% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Nessan
Nessan appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#146,495
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
+6 bearers (+5.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 5,037 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #151,532 | 108 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #146,495 | 114 | 0.04 | +6 bearers (+5.6%) | Up 5,037 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 Nessan 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 | #151,532 | #146,495 | 3.3% |
| Count | 108 | 114 | 5.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -4.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Nessan bearers went from 108 to 114 (+5.6% change). The surname moved up 5,037 positions in the national ranking, going from #151,532 to #146,495.
FAQ
Nessan surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Nessan?
Name Census estimates that about 131 living Americans carry the surname Nessan. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,616,445 residents.
How common is Nessan?
Nessan ranks #146,495 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 114 people with the surname Nessan. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (131), 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 Nessan.
Has Nessan become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Nessan went from 108 recorded bearers to 114. That is an increase of 6 (+5.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #151,532 to #146,495.
What does the Census say about the background of Nessan?
Among Census respondents with the surname Nessan, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.1%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (4.4%). 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 Nessan in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.0% (98 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Nessan appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (86.0%), Two or More Races (6.1%), Asian/Pacific Islander (4.4%). 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 Nessan (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 Nessan mean?
Irish surname derived from the personal name Naessán, meaning "little no" or "little denial." 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 Nessan (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 people share the surname Nessan?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.