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

Neville, 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 Neville surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Neville in America

Neville is the 3053rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Neville surname appeared 11,739 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 Neville.

We can also compare 2010 data for Neville 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 Neville

The surname Neville originated in Normandy, France, and was derived from the Old French words "nouvel" meaning "new" and "ville" meaning "town." It was initially a place name referring to someone who lived in a new town or settlement. The name was introduced to England by Norman settlers after the conquest of 1066.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Neville can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Nevill" and "Nevilla." This indicates that the name was already well-established in England by the late 11th century.

The Neville family played a prominent role in English history, particularly during the Wars of the Roses in the 15th century. Richard Neville, known as the "Kingmaker" (1428-1471), was a powerful English nobleman and military commander who played a pivotal role in the conflicts between the Houses of York and Lancaster.

Another notable figure with the surname Neville was Geoffrey de Neville (c. 1200-1285), a medieval English nobleman and baron who served as a prominent military commander and statesman during the reigns of Henry III and Edward I.

In the 16th century, Sir Henry Neville (1562-1615) was an English diplomat and writer who served as ambassador to France and played a significant role in the Renaissance period.

Moving forward to the 18th century, Nathaniel Neville (1655-1721) was an English author and satirist known for his work "The Isle of Pines," which is considered one of the earliest works of utopian fiction.

In the 19th century, John Neville (1825-1886) was a British actor and theatre manager who was instrumental in reviving the works of William Shakespeare and establishing the prestigious Sadler's Wells Theatre in London.

These are just a few examples of the many notable individuals throughout history who have carried the surname Neville. The name's origins can be traced back to Normandy, France, and it has been a part of English history for over nine centuries, with many prominent figures bearing this surname in various fields.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Neville

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

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

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

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