2000
#6,989
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,421
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.64
Rare Last name
Nez
A French topographic surname referring to someone living near a promontory or headland.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,160 Americans carry the last name Nez. That puts it at #7,159 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.51 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 66,425 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Nez 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.
Bearers in the US
5.2K
1 in 66,425
Census rank
#7,159
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,500 bearers of the surname Nez in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.51 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7159th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Nez, the largest self-reported group is American Indian/Alaska Native at 90.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.4%) and White (2.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Nez
The surname "Nez" is believed to have originated in France, dating back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the French word "nez," which means "nose." The name was likely bestowed upon someone with a distinctive nose or a prominent nasal feature.
In the early 13th century, records show that the name "Nez" appeared in various regions of France, particularly in the northern and central areas. Some of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in historical documents from Normandy and the Île-de-France region.
One of the notable early references to the surname "Nez" is found in the "Livre des Métiers," a medieval guild manuscript from Paris, compiled between 1268 and 1300. This document lists several individuals with the surname "Nez" who were members of various trade guilds.
During the 14th century, the name "Nez" became more widespread across France, with records indicating its presence in regions such as Brittany, Anjou, and Poitou. In some regions, the name was also spelled as "Neys" or "Nays," reflecting regional variations in pronunciation and spelling.
One of the earliest known individuals with the surname "Nez" was Jean Nez, a merchant from Paris who lived in the late 13th century. Another notable figure was Pierre Nez, a prominent lawyer and judge from Rouen, who lived in the early 15th century (circa 1400-1470).
In the 16th century, the name "Nez" gained recognition through the work of the French poet and satirist Mathurin Nez (1523-1586), who hailed from Normandy. His works, which often criticized the clergy and nobility, earned him both acclaim and censorship during his lifetime.
Other historical figures with the surname "Nez" include Jacques Nez (1580-1648), a French explorer and fur trader who traveled extensively in North America, and François Nez (1635-1709), a French architect who designed several notable buildings in Paris and the surrounding regions.
As the surname spread beyond France, it also found its way into other European countries, such as Belgium, where it was sometimes spelled as "Neze" or "Neys." In England, the name was occasionally anglicized to "Neys" or "Nase."
Throughout history, the surname "Nez" has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including merchants, lawyers, artisans, and writers, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and professions of those who bore this distinctive name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Nez
Among Census respondents with the surname Nez, the largest self-reported group is American Indian/Alaska Native at 90.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.4%) and White (2.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Nez 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 Nez surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- American Indian and Alaska Native90.5% · 4,072
- Two or more races3.4% · 154
- White2.9% · 130
- Hispanic or Latino2.7% · 123
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.2% · 11
- Black or African American0.2% · 10
Timeline
Historical Census data for Nez
Nez 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
#6,948
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,827
+406 bearers (+9.2%)
Per 100,000 1.64
Rank movement Up 41 places
2020
#7,159
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,500
-327 bearers (-6.8%)
Per 100,000 1.51
Rank movement Down 211 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,989 | 4,421 | 1.64 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,948 | 4,827 | 1.64 | +406 bearers (+9.2%) | Up 41 places |
| 2020 | #7,159 | 4,500 | 1.51 | -327 bearers (-6.8%) | Down 211 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 Nez 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 | #6,948 | #7,159 | -3.0% |
| Count | 4,827 | 4,500 | -6.8% |
| Per 100K | 1.64 | 1.51 | -8.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Nez bearers went from 4,827 to 4,500 (-6.8% change). The surname moved down 211 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,948 to #7,159.
FAQ
Nez surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Nez?
Name Census estimates that about 5,160 living Americans carry the surname Nez. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 66,425 residents.
How common is Nez?
Nez ranks #7,159 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.51 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 4,500 people with the surname Nez. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,160), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.51 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.51 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Nez.
Has Nez become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Nez went from 4,827 recorded bearers to 4,500. That is a decrease of 327 (-6.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #6,948 to #7,159.
What does the Census say about the background of Nez?
Among Census respondents with the surname Nez, the largest self-reported group is American Indian/Alaska Native at 90.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.4%) and White (2.9%). 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?
American Indian/Alaska Native is the largest self-reported group for the surname Nez in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.5% (4,072 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Nez appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are American Indian/Alaska Native (90.5%), Two or More Races (3.4%), White (2.9%). 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 Nez (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 Nez mean?
A French topographic surname referring to someone living near a promontory or headland. 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 Nez (1.51 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 Nez?
Want to know how common the surname Nez is? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.