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

Nevis, 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 Nevis surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Nevis in America

Nevis is the 47006th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Nevis surname appeared 452 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Nevis.

We can also compare 2010 data for Nevis 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 Nevis

The surname "NEVIS" originated from the Shetland Islands, an archipelago located in the Northern Isles of Scotland. It is believed to have derived from the Old Norse word "nið" or "nefi," which means "nose" or "promontory." This suggests that the name may have initially been used as a descriptive term for someone who lived near a prominent headland or cliff.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Orkneyinga Saga, a historical narrative from the 13th century that chronicles the history of the Orkney and Shetland Islands. This saga mentions a character named Olvir Nevis, who was a prominent figure in the region during the late 12th century.

In the 16th century, the name appeared in various legal documents and records from the Shetland Islands. For instance, a man named William Nevis was mentioned in the Court Book of Shetland in 1575, while another individual named Nicol Nevis was recorded in the Shetland Rental Roll of 1628.

The name "NEVIS" is also associated with several place names in the Shetland Islands. One such example is the Isle of Noss, which was historically spelled as "Nevis" or "Nevis Isle" in older documents. This island's name is derived from the same Old Norse root as the surname, further reinforcing the connection between the name and the geographical features of the region.

Over the centuries, several notable individuals have borne the surname "NEVIS." One example is John Nevis (c. 1640–1686), a Scottish mathematician and astronomer who made significant contributions to the field of celestial mechanics. He was born in Markinch, Fife, and is best known for his work on the determination of the Earth's elliptical figure.

Another prominent figure with the surname "NEVIS" was Alexander Nevis (1720–1784), a Scottish merchant and politician. He served as the Lord Provost of Edinburgh from 1772 to 1774 and played a crucial role in the city's development during the Scottish Enlightenment.

In the literary world, the name is associated with the American author and journalist Mary Roberts Rinehart (1876–1958), who was born Mary Roberts Nevis. She is renowned for her novels, such as "The Circular Staircase" and "The Bat," and is often credited as one of the pioneers of the "had-I-but-known" school of mystery writing.

The surname "NEVIS" has also been carried by notable figures in the realm of sports. One example is Andrew Nevis (1975–), a former professional footballer from Scotland who played as a midfielder for various clubs, including Hibernian and Motherwell.

Additionally, the name is associated with Robert Nevis (1911–1985), an American basketball player and coach. He was a member of the inaugural team of the National Basketball Association (NBA) and later served as a head coach for several teams, including the Fort Wayne Pistons and the Detroit Falcons.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Nevis

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

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

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

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