2000
#2,935
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,258
First available Census row
Per 100,000 4.17
Uncommon Last name
Neville
From a place name derived from the Norman French for "new town," or from a French surname meaning "son of Nevel."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 12,878 Americans carry the last name Neville. That puts it at #3,128 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.76 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 26,615 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Neville 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 Neville with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
13K
1 in 26,615
Census rank
#3,128
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
11K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 11,230 bearers of the surname Neville in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.76 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3128th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Neville, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.5%. The next largest groups are Black (9.6%) and Two or More Races (3.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Neville
Among Census respondents with the surname Neville, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.5%. The next largest groups are Black (9.6%) and Two or More Races (3.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Neville 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 Neville surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White82.5% · 9,269
- Black or African American9.6% · 1,080
- Two or more races3.6% · 399
- Hispanic or Latino3.2% · 359
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 87
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 36
Timeline
Historical Census data for Neville
Neville 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
#3,053
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,739
+481 bearers (+4.3%)
Per 100,000 3.98
Rank movement Down 118 places
2020
#3,128
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,230
-509 bearers (-4.3%)
Per 100,000 3.76
Rank movement Down 75 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,935 | 11,258 | 4.17 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,053 | 11,739 | 3.98 | +481 bearers (+4.3%) | Down 118 places |
| 2020 | #3,128 | 11,230 | 3.76 | -509 bearers (-4.3%) | Down 75 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 Neville 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 | #3,053 | #3,128 | -2.5% |
| Count | 11,739 | 11,230 | -4.3% |
| Per 100K | 3.98 | 3.76 | -5.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Neville bearers went from 11,739 to 11,230 (-4.3% change). The surname moved down 75 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,053 to #3,128.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Neville
FAQ
Neville surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Neville?
Name Census estimates that about 12,878 living Americans carry the surname Neville. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 26,615 residents.
How common is Neville?
Neville ranks #3,128 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.76 per 100,000 residents, which is about 4 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 11,230 people with the surname Neville. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (12,878), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.76 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.76 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 4 of them to have the surname Neville.
Has Neville become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Neville went from 11,739 recorded bearers to 11,230. That is a decrease of 509 (-4.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #3,053 to #3,128.
What does the Census say about the background of Neville?
Among Census respondents with the surname Neville, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.5%. The next largest groups are Black (9.6%) and Two or More Races (3.6%). 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 Neville in the 2020 Census, accounting for 82.5% (9,269 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Neville appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (82.5%), Black (9.6%), Two or More Races (3.6%). 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 Neville (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 Neville mean?
From a place name derived from the Norman French for "new town," or from a French surname meaning "son of Nevel." 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 Neville (3.76 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 last name Neville?
Want to know how many people have the last name Neville? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.