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

Nettles, 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 Nettles surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Nettles in America

Nettles is the 3198th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Nettles surname appeared 11,302 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 4 people would have the surname Nettles.

We can also compare 2010 data for Nettles 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 Nettles

The surname Nettles is of English origin, derived from a locational name referring to someone who lived near a patch of stinging nettles. It is believed to have originated in the late 12th or early 13th century.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Assize Rolls of Staffordshire in 1199, where a William de Netteleshall is mentioned. This suggests that the name may have derived from a place name like Nettleshall or Nettleshill.

In the Hundred Rolls of 1273, there is a record of a Richard de Nettelsworth in Oxfordshire, indicating a possible connection to a place called Nettlesworth or a similar variation.

The Nettles surname is also found in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1327, where a John Netteles is listed. This spelling variation highlights the evolution of the name over time.

A notable early bearer of the name was Sir John Nettles (c. 1400-1472), a member of the English gentry and landowner in Lincolnshire. He served as Sheriff of Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire in 1446.

Another prominent figure was Sir Robert Nettles (1545-1611), an English naval officer and explorer who participated in several voyages to the West Indies and Americas in the late 16th century.

In the literary world, Nathaniel Nettles (1629-1688) was an English poet and playwright who wrote several works, including the play "The Loves of Mars and Venus."

During the English Civil War, Captain Thomas Nettles (1610-1678) served as a prominent Parliamentarian officer and was involved in several battles against the Royalists.

In the 18th century, Edward Nettles (1721-1794) was a renowned English architect who designed several notable buildings, including the Radcliffe Observatory in Oxford.

While the Nettles surname is primarily associated with England, it has also been found in other parts of the United Kingdom and other English-speaking countries due to migration and settlement patterns.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Nettles

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

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

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

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