2000
#149,328
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Nields
An English habitational surname derived from a location.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 128 Americans carry the last name Nields. That puts it at #147,954 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,677,768 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Nields 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
128
1 in 2,677,768
Census rank
#147,954
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
112
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 112 bearers of the surname Nields in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147954th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Nields, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Nields
The surname NIELDS is of English origin, tracing its roots back to the late medieval period. It is believed to have originated from a locational name, referring to someone who hailed from a place called "Nield" or a variation thereof.
One theory suggests that the name is derived from the Old English words "niwol" or "niwul," meaning "new" or "recently cleared," and "feld," meaning "field" or "open land." This indicates that the name may have been associated with someone who resided in a newly established settlement or a recently cleared area of land.
The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in various historical documents from the 13th and 14th centuries. For example, the Pipe Rolls of Staffordshire from 1256 mention a William de Neulond, while the Feet of Fines for Yorkshire in 1301 reference a John de Newefeld.
In Cheshire, the surname appeared as "Newfeld" in the Subsidy Rolls of 1327, suggesting a potential connection to a place called Newfield or a similar name. Additionally, the Hundred Rolls of Huntingdonshire from 1273 contain an entry for a Roger de Neweland.
One of the earliest known individuals bearing this surname was John Nield, a prominent merchant and landowner from Lancashire, who lived in the late 16th century. He played a significant role in the expansion of the wool trade in the region.
Another noteworthy figure was Thomas Nield (1612-1692), an English Puritan minister and author who served as the rector of Tewing in Hertfordshire. He was known for his controversial writings on religious matters during the turbulent times of the English Civil War.
In the literary realm, William Nields (1742-1804) was a renowned English poet and playwright from Yorkshire. His works, including the popular play "The Vintner's Festival," gained widespread acclaim during his lifetime.
Moving forward in time, Reverend James Nield (1791-1864) was a respected Anglican clergyman and author from Lancashire. He served as the vicar of Saddleworth and published several influential works on religious and historical topics.
Another individual of note was Sir John Nield (1839-1912), a prominent British lawyer and judge. He served as a Justice of the King's Bench Division of the High Court of Justice and was knighted for his distinguished legal career.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Nields
Among Census respondents with the surname Nields, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Nields 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 Nields surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.8% · 105
- Two or more races6.3% · 7
Timeline
Historical Census data for Nields
Nields 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
#136,449
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 123
+22 bearers (+21.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 12,879 places
2020
#147,954
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
-11 bearers (-8.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 11,505 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #149,328 | 101 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #136,449 | 123 | 0.04 | +22 bearers (+21.8%) | Up 12,879 places |
| 2020 | #147,954 | 112 | 0.04 | -11 bearers (-8.9%) | Down 11,505 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 Nields 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 | #136,449 | #147,954 | -8.4% |
| Count | 123 | 112 | -8.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -6.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Nields bearers went from 123 to 112 (-8.9% change). The surname moved down 11,505 positions in the national ranking, going from #136,449 to #147,954.
FAQ
Nields surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Nields?
Name Census estimates that about 128 living Americans carry the surname Nields. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,677,768 residents.
How common is Nields?
Nields ranks #147,954 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 112 people with the surname Nields. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (128), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Nields.
Has Nields become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Nields went from 123 recorded bearers to 112. That is a decrease of 11 (-8.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #136,449 to #147,954.
What does the Census say about the background of Nields?
Among Census respondents with the surname Nields, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.3%). 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 Nields in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.8% (105 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Nields appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.8%), Two or More Races (6.3%). 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 Nields (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 Nields mean?
An English habitational surname derived from a location. 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 Nields (0.04 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 Nields?
You can see how common the surname Nields is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.