2010
#157,234
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.03
Very Rare Last name
Nieter
A surname derived from an occupational term for a nail maker or nail smith.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 123 Americans carry the last name Nieter. That puts it at #151,639 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,786,621 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Nieter 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
123
1 in 2,786,621
Census rank
#151,639
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
107
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 107 bearers of the surname Nieter in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 151639th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Nieter, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.8%) and Black (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Nieter
The surname Nieter has its origins in the German language and can be traced back to the 13th century. It is believed to have originated in the region of Bavaria, where it was likely derived from the Middle High German word "nieter," meaning "carpenter" or "one who works with nails."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Nieter can be found in the Nuremberg Chronicles, a 16th-century illustrated world history book. In this manuscript, a certain Hans Nieter is mentioned as a prominent carpenter in the city of Nuremberg during the late 15th century.
The name Nieter also appears in several historical records and documents from the town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber, a well-preserved medieval town in Bavaria. These records date back to the 14th and 15th centuries, indicating that the Nieter family had established roots in the region during that time.
In the 17th century, Johann Georg Nieter (1624-1687) was a notable German theologian and author who served as the rector of the University of Wittenberg. His work, "Dissertatio de fide catholica," published in 1664, was a significant contribution to the field of theology during the Protestant Reformation.
Another notable individual with the surname Nieter was Wilhelm Nieter (1887-1966), a German lawyer and politician who served as a member of the Reichstag, the parliament of the Weimar Republic, from 1924 to 1933.
In the realm of literature, the name Nieter is associated with the German author and poet Friedrich Nieter (1928-2001). Born in Breslau (now Wrocław, Poland), Nieter was known for his works that explored themes of identity and displacement in the aftermath of World War II.
It is also worth noting that the surname Nieter has various spelling variations, such as Nieters, Nietter, and Nietert, which can be found in historical records from different regions of Germany.
Overall, the surname Nieter has a rich history rooted in the German language and culture, with its earliest known origins dating back to the 13th century and connections to the carpentry trade, as well as notable individuals in fields such as theology, politics, and literature.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Nieter
Among Census respondents with the surname Nieter, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.8%) and Black (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Nieter 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 Nieter surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White96.3% · 103
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 3
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Nieter
Nieter appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#151,639
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
+4 bearers (+3.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 5,595 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #157,234 | 103 | 0.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #151,639 | 107 | 0.04 | +4 bearers (+3.9%) | Up 5,595 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 Nieter 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 | #157,234 | #151,639 | 3.6% |
| Count | 103 | 107 | 3.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 19.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Nieter bearers went from 103 to 107 (+3.9% change). The surname moved up 5,595 positions in the national ranking, going from #157,234 to #151,639.
FAQ
Nieter surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Nieter?
Name Census estimates that about 123 living Americans carry the surname Nieter. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,786,621 residents.
How common is Nieter?
Nieter ranks #151,639 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 107 people with the surname Nieter. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (123), 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 Nieter.
Has Nieter become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Nieter went from 103 recorded bearers to 107. That is an increase of 4 (+3.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #157,234 to #151,639.
What does the Census say about the background of Nieter?
Among Census respondents with the surname Nieter, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.8%) and Black (0.9%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Nieter in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.3% (103 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Nieter appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (96.3%), Hispanic (2.8%), Black (0.9%). 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 Nieter (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 Nieter mean?
A surname derived from an occupational term for a nail maker or nail smith. 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 Nieter (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 many people have the last name Nieter?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the last name Nieter on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.