2000
#114,852
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 141
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Nette
A surname deriving from the Old French word "nette", likely describing someone neat or clean.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 123 Americans carry the last name Nette. That puts it at #151,639 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,786,621 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Nette 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
123
1 in 2,786,621
Census rank
#151,639
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
107
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 107 bearers of the surname Nette in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 151639th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Nette, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.4%) and Black (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Nette
The surname Nette is believed to have originated in Germany, with records dating back to the 16th century. It is thought to be derived from the Old German word "netta," which means "net" or "netting." This suggests that the name may have been given to someone who worked with nets, such as a fisherman or hunter.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Nette can be found in the town of Hesse, Germany, in the year 1532. A document from that time mentions a man named Hans Nette, who was a local fisherman. Another early reference to the name is found in the town of Saxony, where a man named Peter Nette is listed as a resident in 1578.
In the 17th century, the name Nette appears to have spread to other parts of Europe. In 1642, a man named Johann Nette was born in the town of Strasbourg, which was located in the region of Alsace (now part of France). Johann Nette was a renowned clockmaker, and his work is still celebrated today.
One of the most notable individuals with the surname Nette was Johann Christian Nette, a German composer and musician who lived from 1737 to 1804. He was widely recognized for his contributions to church music and is considered one of the most important figures in the development of German sacred music during the 18th century.
Another prominent person with the surname Nette was Karl Friedrich Nette, a German painter who was born in 1767 and died in 1832. He was known for his landscape paintings, which depicted the beautiful scenery of the German countryside.
In the 19th century, the name Nette can be found in various parts of Europe, including the Netherlands and Austria. One notable individual from this time period was Theodor Nette, an Austrian architect who was born in 1858 and died in 1936. He was responsible for designing several important buildings in Vienna, including the Secession Building, which is considered a masterpiece of Art Nouveau architecture.
Throughout its history, the surname Nette has been associated with various occupations, including fishermen, hunters, clockmakers, painters, and architects. While its origins can be traced back to Germany, the name has spread across Europe and has been carried by individuals from diverse backgrounds and professions.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Nette
Among Census respondents with the surname Nette, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.4%) and Black (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Nette 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 Nette surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.8% · 95
- Hispanic or Latino8.4% · 9
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
- Two or more races0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Nette
Nette 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
#148,347
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
-30 bearers (-21.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 33,495 places
2020
#151,639
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
-4 bearers (-3.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 3,292 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #114,852 | 141 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #148,347 | 111 | 0.04 | -30 bearers (-21.3%) | Down 33,495 places |
| 2020 | #151,639 | 107 | 0.04 | -4 bearers (-3.6%) | Down 3,292 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 Nette 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 | #148,347 | #151,639 | -2.2% |
| Count | 111 | 107 | -3.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -10.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Nette bearers went from 111 to 107 (-3.6% change). The surname moved down 3,292 positions in the national ranking, going from #148,347 to #151,639.
FAQ
Nette surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Nette?
Name Census estimates that about 123 living Americans carry the surname Nette. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,786,621 residents.
How common is Nette?
Nette ranks #151,639 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 107 people with the surname Nette. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (123), 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 Nette.
Has Nette become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Nette went from 111 recorded bearers to 107. That is a decrease of 4 (-3.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #148,347 to #151,639.
What does the Census say about the background of Nette?
Among Census respondents with the surname Nette, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.4%) and Black (0.9%). 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 Nette in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.8% (95 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Nette appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.8%), Hispanic (8.4%), Black (0.9%). 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 Nette (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 Nette mean?
A surname deriving from the Old French word "nette", likely describing someone neat or clean. 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 Nette (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 have the surname Nette?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.