2000
#150,436
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 100
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Netting
A surname potentially derived from the occupation of netting or net-making.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 139 Americans carry the last name Netting. 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 Netting 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Netting with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
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 Netting 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 Netting, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.2%. The next largest groups are Black (1.7%) and Hispanic (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Netting
The surname Netting has its origins in England, where it first appeared in the 13th century as a locational name. It derives from the Old English words "nett" and "ing," meaning "people living by the nets," referring to those residing near fishing grounds or areas where nets were made or used.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273, where a Simon de Nettinge is mentioned in Buckinghamshire. The Subsidy Rolls for Sussex in 1296 also include a reference to a John de Nettynge.
During the Middle Ages, the Netting surname was particularly prevalent in the counties of Sussex, Surrey, and Hampshire, where fishing and net-making were common occupations. The name may have originated from specific place names like Nettingfield in Kent or Nettington in Wiltshire.
In the 16th century, variations of the spelling included Nettinge, Nettynge, and Nettyn. A notable bearer of the name from this era was John Netting, born in 1490 in Sussex, who was a prominent merchant and alderman in the city of London.
The Domesday Book of 1086 does not contain any direct references to the surname Netting, as it predates the widespread adoption of hereditary surnames in England. However, it does mention several places with names like "Netehame" and "Nettelcumbe," which could be related to the origin of the surname.
Other notable individuals with the surname Netting throughout history include:
1. William Netting (1685-1757), an English clergyman and author from Surrey.
2. Richard Netting (1767-1842), a British politician and Member of Parliament for Wiltshire.
3. Alice Netting (1856-1933), an American social worker and educator from Pennsylvania.
4. Edmund Netting (1861-1938), a British architect and designer from Hampshire.
5. John Netting (1919-2005), an Australian soldier and recipient of the Victoria Cross for his actions during World War II.
While the Netting surname may have originated as a locational name, over time it became associated with various occupations related to fishing, net-making, and other maritime activities in coastal regions of England.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Netting
Among Census respondents with the surname Netting, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.2%. The next largest groups are Black (1.7%) and Hispanic (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Netting 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 Netting surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.2% · 114
- Black or African American1.7% · 2
- Hispanic or Latino1.7% · 2
- Two or more races1.7% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Netting
Netting 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
#139,228
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
+20 bearers (+20.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 11,208 places
2020
#141,309
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
+1 bearers (+0.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 2,081 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #150,436 | 100 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #139,228 | 120 | 0.04 | +20 bearers (+20.0%) | Up 11,208 places |
| 2020 | #141,309 | 121 | 0.04 | +1 bearers (+0.8%) | Down 2,081 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 Netting 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 | #139,228 | #141,309 | -1.5% |
| Count | 120 | 121 | 0.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 1.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Netting bearers went from 120 to 121 (+0.8% change). The surname moved down 2,081 positions in the national ranking, going from #139,228 to #141,309.
FAQ
Netting surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Netting?
Name Census estimates that about 139 living Americans carry the surname Netting. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,465,859 residents.
How common is Netting?
Netting 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 Netting. 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 Netting.
Has Netting become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Netting went from 120 recorded bearers to 121. That is an increase of 1 (+0.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #139,228 to #141,309.
What does the Census say about the background of Netting?
Among Census respondents with the surname Netting, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.2%. The next largest groups are Black (1.7%) and Hispanic (1.7%). 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 Netting in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.2% (114 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Netting appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.2%), Black (1.7%), Hispanic (1.7%). 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 Netting (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 Netting mean?
A surname potentially derived from the occupation of netting or net-making. 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 Netting (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 are called Netting?
For a quick modern take, check how common the surname Netting is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.