2000
#13,326
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,098
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.78
Rare Last name
Nettleton
A locational surname derived from places in England meaning "town by the nettle plants."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,347 Americans carry the last name Nettleton. That puts it at #14,087 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.68 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 146,039 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Nettleton 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 Nettleton with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.3K
1 in 146,039
Census rank
#14,087
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,047 bearers of the surname Nettleton in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.68 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14087th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Nettleton, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.9%) and Hispanic (3.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Nettleton
The surname Nettleton originates from England and dates back to the 11th century. It is a locational surname, derived from the place name Nettleton, which refers to various locations in several counties across England, including Lincolnshire, Wiltshire, and Oxfordshire. The name itself is a combination of the Old English words "netel" (meaning nettle) and "tun" (meaning farm or settlement), indicating a settlement or area where nettles grew abundantly.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Nettleton can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Neteltone" in reference to a settlement in Lincolnshire. This entry suggests that the surname was already established in this region by the late 11th century.
The Nettleton surname gained prominence in the 13th and 14th centuries, with several notable individuals bearing the name. One such person was Sir John Nettleton (c. 1260-1330), a prominent landowner and knight from Wiltshire, who served under King Edward I and participated in military campaigns in Scotland and France.
In the 15th century, the Nettleton family held significant influence in Oxfordshire. John Nettleton (c. 1420-1490) was a respected lawyer and served as a Member of Parliament for Oxfordshire in 1459. His son, Thomas Nettleton (c. 1450-1520), was a prominent merchant and benefactor who funded the construction of a chapel in the village of Swinbrook, Oxfordshire.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Nettleton surname continued to be associated with various notable figures. One such individual was Sir John Nettleton (c. 1550-1624), a wealthy merchant and politician who served as Lord Mayor of London in 1597. Another notable Nettleton was Robert Nettleton (c. 1620-1688), a Puritan minister and author who emigrated to America and played a significant role in the early development of the Massachusetts Bay Colony.
In the 18th century, John Nettleton (1687-1757) was a prominent English clergyman and author, known for his theological writings and sermons. Additionally, Thomas Nettleton (1745-1822) was a respected lawyer and judge, serving as a Justice of the King's Bench in England.
The Nettleton surname has been carried by numerous individuals throughout history, including explorers, authors, politicians, and military figures, reflecting the diverse contributions of those who bear this name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Nettleton
Among Census respondents with the surname Nettleton, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.9%) and Hispanic (3.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Nettleton 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 Nettleton surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.0% · 1,863
- Two or more races3.9% · 79
- Hispanic or Latino3.2% · 65
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 18
- Black or African American0.7% · 14
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 8
Timeline
Historical Census data for Nettleton
Nettleton 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
#14,316
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,090
-8 bearers (-0.4%)
Per 100,000 0.71
Rank movement Down 990 places
2020
#14,087
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,047
-43 bearers (-2.1%)
Per 100,000 0.68
Rank movement Up 229 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #13,326 | 2,098 | 0.78 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #14,316 | 2,090 | 0.71 | -8 bearers (-0.4%) | Down 990 places |
| 2020 | #14,087 | 2,047 | 0.68 | -43 bearers (-2.1%) | Up 229 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 Nettleton 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 | #14,316 | #14,087 | 1.6% |
| Count | 2,090 | 2,047 | -2.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.71 | 0.68 | -3.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Nettleton bearers went from 2,090 to 2,047 (-2.1% change). The surname moved up 229 positions in the national ranking, going from #14,316 to #14,087.
FAQ
Nettleton surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Nettleton?
Name Census estimates that about 2,347 living Americans carry the surname Nettleton. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 146,039 residents.
How common is Nettleton?
Nettleton ranks #14,087 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.68 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,047 people with the surname Nettleton. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,347), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.68 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.68 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Nettleton.
Has Nettleton become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Nettleton went from 2,090 recorded bearers to 2,047. That is a decrease of 43 (-2.1%). In the national ranking it rose from #14,316 to #14,087.
What does the Census say about the background of Nettleton?
Among Census respondents with the surname Nettleton, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.9%) and Hispanic (3.2%). 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 Nettleton in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.0% (1,863 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Nettleton appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.0%), Two or More Races (3.9%), Hispanic (3.2%). 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 Nettleton (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 Nettleton mean?
A locational surname derived from places in England meaning "town by the nettle plants." 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 Nettleton (0.68 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 common is the surname Nettleton?
Find out how many people are called Nettleton on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.