2010
#157,234
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.03
Very Rare Last name
Nisely
An Americanized spelling of Nisly, a German surname meaning "a valley dweller".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 119 Americans carry the last name Nisely. That puts it at #153,590 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,880,289 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Nisely 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
119
1 in 2,880,289
Census rank
#153,590
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
104
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 104 bearers of the surname Nisely in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 153590th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Nisely, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.7%) and Black (4.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Nisely
The surname Nisely is of German origin and is believed to have derived from the German word "Nies," which means "sneeze." It was likely a nickname given to someone who frequently sneezed or had a tendency to sneeze.
The earliest recorded instances of the Nisely surname can be traced back to the 16th century in the German region of Baden-Württemberg. Historical records from this period show variations in spelling, such as Niesle, Niesley, and Nissele.
One of the earliest known bearers of the Nisely name was Hans Niesle, born in 1587 in the village of Pforzheim, Baden-Württemberg. He was a farmer and is mentioned in local parish records.
In the 17th century, the Nisely surname began to appear in various parts of Germany and Switzerland. Johann Nisely, born in 1642 in Heidelberg, Germany, was a notable figure who served as a town councilor and is mentioned in municipal records from the time.
As the Nisely family spread across Europe, some members immigrated to the American colonies in the 18th century. One of the earliest recorded instances of the Nisely surname in America was Jacob Nisely, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1738 from the Palatinate region of Germany.
Another prominent figure with the Nisely surname was Samuel Nisely, born in 1789 in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. He was a successful businessman and landowner, and his descendants went on to establish themselves in various parts of the United States.
In the 19th century, the Nisely surname became more widely dispersed across North America. Notable individuals from this period include John Nisely, born in 1823 in Ohio, who served as a Union soldier during the American Civil War, and Sarah Nisely, born in 1856 in Indiana, who was a pioneering educator and advocate for women's rights.
Throughout its history, the Nisely surname has been associated with various occupations, including farming, craftsmanship, and public service. While not a particularly common name, it has left a mark in various regions of Germany, Switzerland, and North America.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Nisely
Among Census respondents with the surname Nisely, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.7%) and Black (4.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Nisely 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 Nisely surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White83.7% · 87
- Two or more races6.7% · 7
- Black or African American4.8% · 5
- Hispanic or Latino3.8% · 4
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Nisely
Nisely 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
#153,590
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
+1 bearers (+1.0%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Up 3,644 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 | #153,590 | 104 | 0.03 | +1 bearers (+1.0%) | Up 3,644 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 Nisely 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 | #153,590 | 2.3% |
| Count | 103 | 104 | 1.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.03 | 16.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Nisely bearers went from 103 to 104 (+1.0% change). The surname moved up 3,644 positions in the national ranking, going from #157,234 to #153,590.
FAQ
Nisely surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Nisely?
Name Census estimates that about 119 living Americans carry the surname Nisely. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,880,289 residents.
How common is Nisely?
Nisely ranks #153,590 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 104 people with the surname Nisely. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (119), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Nisely.
Has Nisely become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Nisely went from 103 recorded bearers to 104. That is an increase of 1 (+1.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #157,234 to #153,590.
What does the Census say about the background of Nisely?
Among Census respondents with the surname Nisely, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.7%) and Black (4.8%). 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 Nisely in the 2020 Census, accounting for 83.7% (87 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Nisely appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (83.7%), Two or More Races (6.7%), Black (4.8%). 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 Nisely (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 Nisely mean?
An Americanized spelling of Nisly, a German surname meaning "a valley dweller". 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 Nisely (0.03 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 surname Nisely?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.