2000
#4,102
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,993
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.96
Uncommon Last name
Niles
Derived from a placename meaning "dweller at the foot of a hill" in Old English.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 11,085 Americans carry the last name Niles. That puts it at #3,595 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.23 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 30,921 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Niles 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Niles with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
11K
1 in 30,921
Census rank
#3,595
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
9.7K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 9,667 bearers of the surname Niles in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.23 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3595th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Niles, the largest self-reported group is White at 75.2%. The next largest groups are Black (14.9%) and Hispanic (4.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Niles
The surname Niles is of English origin and dates back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Old English word "nīl," meaning "brook" or "stream," and was likely given as a descriptive surname to someone who lived near a small stream or brook.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Niles can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1191, where a person named William de Nyles is mentioned. This suggests that the name may have originated in the county of Gloucestershire or the surrounding areas.
During the medieval period, the name was also spelled in various ways, such as Nyles, Nyles, and Niles. These variations were common due to the lack of standardized spelling at the time.
In the 13th century, the name appears in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire, where a person named Roger de Nyles is recorded. This provides evidence that the name was present in other parts of England during this period.
One of the earliest known bearers of the surname Niles was Sir John Niles, a prominent landowner who lived in Bedfordshire in the late 14th century. He was involved in local politics and held several important positions in the county.
Another notable figure with the surname Niles was Samuel Niles, a Puritan minister born in 1674 in Hingham, Massachusetts. He played a significant role in the establishment of the Congregational Church in New England and was known for his influential sermons and writings.
In the literary world, Nathaniel Niles, born in 1741 in West Fairlee, Vermont, was a renowned poet and author. He is best known for his works celebrating the natural beauty of New England and his contributions to the development of American literature.
One of the most prominent individuals with the surname Niles was John Milton Niles, born in 1787 in Windsor, Connecticut. He was a lawyer, politician, and judge who served as a member of the United States Senate from 1835 to 1839, representing the state of Connecticut.
The surname Niles has also been associated with place names, such as Niles, Michigan, which was founded in 1829 and named after Ezra Niles, one of the early settlers in the area.
Overall, the surname Niles has a rich history dating back to medieval England, with its origins rooted in descriptive surnames related to geographical features. Throughout the centuries, it has been carried by notable individuals in various fields, including religion, literature, politics, and law.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Niles
Among Census respondents with the surname Niles, the largest self-reported group is White at 75.2%. The next largest groups are Black (14.9%) and Hispanic (4.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Niles 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 Niles surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White75.2% · 7,274
- Black or African American14.9% · 1,441
- Hispanic or Latino4.5% · 437
- Two or more races3.7% · 356
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.2% · 116
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 43
Timeline
Historical Census data for Niles
Niles 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
#3,511
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,173
+2,180 bearers (+27.3%)
Per 100,000 3.45
Rank movement Up 591 places
2020
#3,595
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,667
-506 bearers (-5.0%)
Per 100,000 3.23
Rank movement Down 84 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,102 | 7,993 | 2.96 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,511 | 10,173 | 3.45 | +2,180 bearers (+27.3%) | Up 591 places |
| 2020 | #3,595 | 9,667 | 3.23 | -506 bearers (-5.0%) | Down 84 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 Niles 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 | #3,511 | #3,595 | -2.4% |
| Count | 10,173 | 9,667 | -5.0% |
| Per 100K | 3.45 | 3.23 | -6.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Niles bearers went from 10,173 to 9,667 (-5.0% change). The surname moved down 84 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,511 to #3,595.
FAQ
Niles surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Niles?
Name Census estimates that about 11,085 living Americans carry the surname Niles. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 30,921 residents.
How common is Niles?
Niles ranks #3,595 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.23 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 9,667 people with the surname Niles. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (11,085), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.23 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.23 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Niles.
Has Niles become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Niles went from 10,173 recorded bearers to 9,667. That is a decrease of 506 (-5.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #3,511 to #3,595.
What does the Census say about the background of Niles?
Among Census respondents with the surname Niles, the largest self-reported group is White at 75.2%. The next largest groups are Black (14.9%) and Hispanic (4.5%). 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 Niles in the 2020 Census, accounting for 75.2% (7,274 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Niles appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (75.2%), Black (14.9%), Hispanic (4.5%). 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 Niles (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 Niles mean?
Derived from a placename meaning "dweller at the foot of a hill" in Old English. 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 Niles (3.23 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 Niles?
You can see how many people are called Niles on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.