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

Nessel, 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 Nessel surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Nessel in America

Nessel is the 62189th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Nessel surname appeared 322 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Nessel.

We can also compare 2010 data for Nessel 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 Nessel

The surname Nessel originated in Germany, likely emerging in the 14th or 15th century. It is derived from the German word "Nessel," which means "nettle," a stinging plant. The name may have initially been a descriptive nickname given to someone who lived near a patch of nettles or had a distinctive resemblance to the plant.

In the early days of surname adoption, it was common for people to be identified by physical characteristics, occupations, or locations associated with them. The name Nessel likely followed this pattern, originating as a way to distinguish individuals within a community.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Nessel can be found in the "Codex Diplomaticus Brandenburgensis," a collection of historical documents from the Margraviate of Brandenburg, dated to the 15th century. The document mentions a "Hans Nessel" as a landowner in the region.

Another notable early bearer of the name was Johann Nessel, a German scholar and theologian who lived from 1577 to 1662. He served as a professor of theology at the University of Ingolstadt and wrote several influential works on religious philosophy and theology.

In the 17th century, records show a Hans Nessel who was a prominent merchant and trader in the city of Hamburg. His business dealings and success contributed to the spread and recognition of the Nessel name in the region.

During the 18th century, a notable figure named Johann Gottlieb Nessel (1715-1783) gained recognition as a German jurist and legal scholar. He served as a professor of law at the University of Halle and authored several influential works on legal theory and practice.

Another prominent individual with the Nessel surname was Carl Friedrich Nessel (1783-1854), a German botanist and naturalist. He made significant contributions to the study of plant life and published numerous works on the flora of Germany and surrounding regions.

These examples illustrate the presence of the Nessel surname across various parts of Germany and its association with individuals from diverse backgrounds, ranging from scholars and academics to merchants and naturalists.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Nessel

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

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

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

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