2000
#13,812
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,009
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.74
Rare Last name
Nisbet
A Scottish locational surname referring to a person from one of several places called Nisbet in Scotland.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,197 Americans carry the last name Nisbet. That puts it at #14,846 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.64 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 156,010 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Nisbet 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 Nisbet with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.2K
1 in 156,010
Census rank
#14,846
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,916 bearers of the surname Nisbet in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.64 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14846th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Nisbet, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.9%) and Two or More Races (3.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Nisbet
The surname Nisbet has its origins in Scotland, where it first appeared in the 12th century. It is derived from the Old English word "neohse" meaning "promontory" or "nose of land." This suggests that the name likely referred to someone who lived near a prominent headland or cliff.
The earliest recorded spelling of the name is found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which list those who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England after his conquest of parts of Scotland. Here it appears as "Nisbit" and "Nesbit." Over time, various spellings emerged, including Nisbet, Neisbit, and Nisbett.
In the 14th century, records show that a family bearing the Nisbet name held lands in the Scottish Borders region, particularly around the town of Berwick-upon-Tweed. One notable early member was Philip de Nisbet, who fought alongside King Robert the Bruce at the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314.
During the medieval period, the Nisbets were involved in numerous border conflicts between Scotland and England. In 1448, Alexander Nisbet was appointed Warden of the West Marches, responsible for defending the western Scottish border lands.
The Nisbet name also appears in various Scottish clan histories and records. In the 16th century, a branch of the family became closely associated with the powerful Clan Douglas, serving as vassals and supporters of the Black Douglases.
One of the most famous Nisbets was Sir John Nisbet (1609-1687), a prominent Scottish lawyer and judge who served as Lord Advocate of Scotland and Lord President of the Court of Session. He was also a noted legal scholar and author of several works on Scottish law.
Another significant figure was Robert Nisbet (1713-1781), a Scottish philosopher and historian who emigrated to America and became the first professor of moral philosophy at Dickinson College in Pennsylvania. His writings on political theory and social philosophy had a lasting influence in the early United States.
In the arts, James Nisbet (1784-1835) was a Scottish portrait painter who produced works depicting many of the notable figures of his time, including Sir Walter Scott and Lord Byron. His paintings are held in collections across Britain and Europe.
Throughout history, the Nisbet name has been associated with various locations in Scotland, including the villages of Nisbet and Nisbet House in the Scottish Borders, as well as the former Nisbet Castle near Duns.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Nisbet
Among Census respondents with the surname Nisbet, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.9%) and Two or More Races (3.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Nisbet 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 Nisbet surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.6% · 1,735
- Hispanic or Latino3.9% · 74
- Two or more races3.4% · 65
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 19
- Black or African American0.9% · 18
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Nisbet
Nisbet 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
#14,933
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,982
-27 bearers (-1.3%)
Per 100,000 0.67
Rank movement Down 1,121 places
2020
#14,846
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,916
-66 bearers (-3.3%)
Per 100,000 0.64
Rank movement Up 87 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #13,812 | 2,009 | 0.74 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #14,933 | 1,982 | 0.67 | -27 bearers (-1.3%) | Down 1,121 places |
| 2020 | #14,846 | 1,916 | 0.64 | -66 bearers (-3.3%) | Up 87 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 Nisbet 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 | #14,933 | #14,846 | 0.6% |
| Count | 1,982 | 1,916 | -3.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.67 | 0.64 | -4.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Nisbet bearers went from 1,982 to 1,916 (-3.3% change). The surname moved up 87 positions in the national ranking, going from #14,933 to #14,846.
FAQ
Nisbet surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Nisbet?
Name Census estimates that about 2,197 living Americans carry the surname Nisbet. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 156,010 residents.
How common is Nisbet?
Nisbet ranks #14,846 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.64 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 1,916 people with the surname Nisbet. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,197), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.64 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.64 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 Nisbet.
Has Nisbet become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Nisbet went from 1,982 recorded bearers to 1,916. That is a decrease of 66 (-3.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #14,933 to #14,846.
What does the Census say about the background of Nisbet?
Among Census respondents with the surname Nisbet, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.9%) and Two or More Races (3.4%). 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 Nisbet in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.6% (1,735 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Nisbet appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.6%), Hispanic (3.9%), Two or More Races (3.4%). 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 Nisbet (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 Nisbet mean?
A Scottish locational surname referring to a person from one of several places called Nisbet in Scotland. 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 Nisbet (0.64 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 are called Nisbet?
For a quick modern take, check how many people are called Nisbet on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.