2000
#14,680
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,857
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.69
Rare Last name
Nigh
A topographic surname referring to someone who lived near something or in a particular location.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,021 Americans carry the last name Nigh. That puts it at #15,910 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.59 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 169,596 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Nigh 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
2.0K
1 in 169,596
Census rank
#15,910
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,762 bearers of the surname Nigh in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.59 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 15910th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Nigh, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.6%) and Hispanic (3.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Nigh
The surname NIGH is of English origin, derived from the Old English word "neah" or "neh," meaning "near" or "close by." It is believed to have originated as a locational surname, given to individuals who lived near a prominent geographical feature or landmark.
The earliest recorded use of the surname NIGH dates back to the late 12th century in the county of Oxfordshire, England. In the Pipe Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1196, there is a mention of a man named Robert Negh, which is likely an early spelling variation of the surname.
During the medieval period, the surname NIGH was often associated with place names that incorporated the word "nigh" or its variations. For example, the Hundred Rolls of 1273 mention a William de la Nyghe, likely referring to someone from a place called "La Nyghe" or a similar name.
One notable early bearer of the surname was John Nigh, a merchant and cloth trader who lived in the city of London during the 15th century. Records from 1487 indicate that he was involved in trading with the Netherlands and other parts of Europe.
In the 16th century, the surname NIGH appeared in various church records and legal documents across England. One example is William Nigh, who was born in the village of Stratford-upon-Avon in 1542, the birthplace of the renowned playwright William Shakespeare.
Another notable figure was Sir Hugh Nigh, a military commander who served in the English Civil War during the 17th century. He fought for the Royalist forces and was knighted by King Charles I in 1643 for his bravery and leadership on the battlefield.
During the 18th century, the surname NIGH spread to other parts of the British Isles and the American colonies. One prominent individual was Thomas Nigh, a Quaker minister from Pennsylvania who was born in 1718. He played a significant role in the early settlement and religious life of the region.
In the 19th century, the surname NIGH was borne by several notable figures, including James Nigh, a British writer and poet who was born in London in 1821. He published several collections of poetry and was known for his works exploring themes of nature and spirituality.
Overall, the surname NIGH has a rich history rooted in the English language and culture, with its origins dating back to the medieval period. While it may have originated as a locational name, it has since been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including merchants, military leaders, religious figures, and literary figures.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Nigh
Among Census respondents with the surname Nigh, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.6%) and Hispanic (3.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Nigh 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 Nigh surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.7% · 1,615
- Two or more races3.6% · 64
- Hispanic or Latino3.1% · 54
- Black or African American0.6% · 11
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 11
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 7
Timeline
Historical Census data for Nigh
Nigh 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
#15,328
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,913
+56 bearers (+3.0%)
Per 100,000 0.65
Rank movement Down 648 places
2020
#15,910
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,762
-151 bearers (-7.9%)
Per 100,000 0.59
Rank movement Down 582 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #14,680 | 1,857 | 0.69 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #15,328 | 1,913 | 0.65 | +56 bearers (+3.0%) | Down 648 places |
| 2020 | #15,910 | 1,762 | 0.59 | -151 bearers (-7.9%) | Down 582 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 Nigh 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 | #15,328 | #15,910 | -3.8% |
| Count | 1,913 | 1,762 | -7.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.65 | 0.59 | -9.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Nigh bearers went from 1,913 to 1,762 (-7.9% change). The surname moved down 582 positions in the national ranking, going from #15,328 to #15,910.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Nigh
FAQ
Nigh surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Nigh?
Name Census estimates that about 2,021 living Americans carry the surname Nigh. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 169,596 residents.
How common is Nigh?
Nigh ranks #15,910 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.59 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 1,762 people with the surname Nigh. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,021), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.59 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.59 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Nigh.
Has Nigh become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Nigh went from 1,913 recorded bearers to 1,762. That is a decrease of 151 (-7.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #15,328 to #15,910.
What does the Census say about the background of Nigh?
Among Census respondents with the surname Nigh, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.6%) and Hispanic (3.1%). 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 Nigh in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.7% (1,615 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Nigh appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.7%), Two or More Races (3.6%), Hispanic (3.1%). 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 Nigh (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 Nigh mean?
A topographic surname referring to someone who lived near something or in a particular 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 Nigh (0.59 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 Americans have the surname Nigh?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.