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

Nighbor, 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 Nighbor surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Nighbor in America

Nighbor is the 123064th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Nighbor surname appeared 140 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 Nighbor.

We can also compare 2010 data for Nighbor 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 Nighbor

The surname Nighbor is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Old English words "neah" meaning "near" and "bur" meaning "dwelling" or "neighbor." The name likely referred to someone who lived in close proximity to another person or place.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Nighbor can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire, dated 1195, which mentions a Robert le Nighebur. This early spelling variation highlights the connection to the word "neighbor" and its roots in describing one's physical location in relation to others.

The Nighbor surname also appears in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273, a census-like record of landowners in various counties of England. This document lists several individuals with the surname Nighbor or similar spellings, such as Nighebur and Neighebur, residing in counties like Oxfordshire and Bedfordshire.

In the 14th century, the name appeared in various forms, including Nighbour, Nighbur, and Neighebor, in records from different parts of England. For instance, the Feet of Fines for Essex from 1327 mentions a John le Nighbour, while the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex in 1332 list a William Nighbur.

One notable individual with the surname Nighbor was Sir John Nighbor, a prominent merchant and alderman in the City of London during the late 14th century. He served as the Lord Mayor of London in 1379 and was a member of the influential Mercers' Company.

Another early bearer of the Nighbor name was William Nighbor, a landowner in the village of Swinstead, Lincolnshire, who was mentioned in the Court Rolls of the Manor of Swinstead in the early 15th century.

Throughout the centuries, the Nighbor surname has been associated with various place names in England, such as Nighbor's Green in Suffolk and Nighbor's Lane in Essex, suggesting that the name was well-established in certain areas.

Other historical figures with the surname Nighbor include Thomas Nighbor, a merchant and ship owner from Bristol in the late 16th century, and Richard Nighbor, a clergyman who served as the Rector of St. Mary's Church in Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk, in the 17th century.

While the spelling and pronunciation of the surname may have evolved over time, the Nighbor name has maintained its connection to the concept of "neighbor" and the idea of living in close proximity to others, reflecting the social dynamics and living arrangements of medieval and early modern English communities.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Nighbor

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

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

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

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