2000
#140,756
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Nettell
From the Middle English word "netell," meaning "to catch" or "entrap."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 139 Americans carry the last name Nettell. That puts it at #141,309 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,465,859 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Nettell 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
139
1 in 2,465,859
Census rank
#141,309
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
121
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 121 bearers of the surname Nettell in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 141309th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Nettell, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.0%) and Black (0.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Nettell
The surname Nettell has its origins in England, tracing back to the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words 'nett' and 'hyll,' meaning 'net' and 'hill' respectively. This suggests that the name may have referred to someone who lived on a hill near a place where nets were used, possibly for fishing or hunting.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Hundred Rolls of Lincolnshire in 1273, where it is spelled 'Nettelhyll.' This variation in spelling was common in earlier times when standardized spellings were not yet established. The name is also found in the records of the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1327, written as 'Nettelhull.'
In the 14th century, the surname was also associated with various place names across England. For instance, there was a village called 'Nettelhull' in Shropshire, and another named 'Nettelhull' in Staffordshire. These place names may have influenced the spelling and pronunciation of the surname over time.
One notable figure bearing the Nettell surname was Sir John Nettell, a prominent landowner and politician from Gloucestershire, who lived in the late 16th century (circa 1550-1610). Another early recorded instance is that of William Nettell, a merchant from London who was mentioned in the Port Books of 1567.
In the 17th century, the name appeared in various records, such as the Parish Registers of Essex in 1612, where it was spelled 'Nettell.' During this period, a notable figure was Richard Nettell (1630-1692), a successful merchant and landowner from Yorkshire.
Moving into the 18th century, the name was still present in various parts of England. For example, John Nettell (1705-1768) was a respected clergyman and author from Oxfordshire, who published several works on theology and philosophy.
In the 19th century, the Nettell surname continued to be found across England, with families residing in counties like Warwickshire, Gloucestershire, and Yorkshire. One notable individual from this era was George Nettell (1818-1892), a renowned architect and civil engineer who designed several notable buildings in London and other parts of the country.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Nettell
Among Census respondents with the surname Nettell, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.0%) and Black (0.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Nettell 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 Nettell surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.7% · 111
- Hispanic or Latino5.0% · 6
- Black or African American0.8% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 1
- Two or more races0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Nettell
Nettell 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
#143,149
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
+7 bearers (+6.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 2,393 places
2020
#141,309
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
+5 bearers (+4.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 1,840 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #140,756 | 109 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #143,149 | 116 | 0.04 | +7 bearers (+6.4%) | Down 2,393 places |
| 2020 | #141,309 | 121 | 0.04 | +5 bearers (+4.3%) | Up 1,840 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 Nettell 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 | #143,149 | #141,309 | 1.3% |
| Count | 116 | 121 | 4.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 1.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Nettell bearers went from 116 to 121 (+4.3% change). The surname moved up 1,840 positions in the national ranking, going from #143,149 to #141,309.
FAQ
Nettell surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Nettell?
Name Census estimates that about 139 living Americans carry the surname Nettell. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,465,859 residents.
How common is Nettell?
Nettell ranks #141,309 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 121 people with the surname Nettell. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (139), 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 Nettell.
Has Nettell become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Nettell went from 116 recorded bearers to 121. That is an increase of 5 (+4.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #143,149 to #141,309.
What does the Census say about the background of Nettell?
Among Census respondents with the surname Nettell, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.0%) and Black (0.8%). 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 Nettell in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.7% (111 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Nettell appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.7%), Hispanic (5.0%), Black (0.8%). 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 Nettell (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 Nettell mean?
From the Middle English word "netell," meaning "to catch" or "entrap." 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 Nettell (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 Nettell?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.