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

Niel, 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 Niel surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Niel in America

Niel is the 57639th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Niel surname appeared 353 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 Niel.

We can also compare 2010 data for Niel 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 Niel

The surname Niel is of Norman French origin, derived from the Old French word "niel," meaning "nephew" or "grandchild." It is thought to have originated as a nickname for someone who was a nephew or grandchild. The name first appeared in records in the 11th century, shortly after the Norman conquest of England in 1066.

Niel is believed to have been initially concentrated in the regions of Normandy and Brittany in France, as well as parts of southern England that were heavily settled by Norman and Breton families after the conquest. Some early variations of the spelling included Neel, Nelle, and Nielle.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name comes from the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of landowners and property holdings in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The name is listed as "Niel" in this important historical record.

In the 13th century, a notable figure bearing the surname Niel was Thomas Niel, a prominent landowner and knight who served King John of England. He is mentioned in various charters and legal documents from the time.

During the 14th century, the name appeared in several English placenames, such as Nielston in Dorset and Nielscombe in Somerset, indicating areas where families with the surname Niel had settled and established estates.

In the 16th century, a prominent member of the Niel family was Sir Henry Niel (1515-1594), a courtier and diplomat who served under Queen Elizabeth I. He is recorded as having been sent on diplomatic missions to France and the Netherlands.

Another notable Niel was John Niel (1651-1725), a Scottish mathematician and philosopher who made significant contributions to the development of calculus and published works on natural philosophy.

In the 18th century, James Niel (1718-1793) was a Scottish naval officer who distinguished himself in several battles during the Seven Years' War and the American Revolutionary War, rising to the rank of Admiral of the Blue.

The 19th century saw the birth of Sir Samuel Niel (1828-1901), a British army officer who served in the Crimean War and the Indian Mutiny, eventually becoming Commander-in-Chief of the British Army in India.

These are just a few examples of notable individuals with the surname Niel throughout history, demonstrating the wide geographic spread and prominence of the name across various fields over several centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Niel

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

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

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

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