2000
#6,259
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,018
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.86
Rare Last name
Nissen
A Danish-Norwegian patronymic surname meaning "son of Nis," a diminutive of Niels or Nikolaj (Nicholas).
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,361 Americans carry the last name Nissen. That puts it at #6,925 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.56 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 63,935 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Nissen 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 Nissen with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
5.4K
1 in 63,935
Census rank
#6,925
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.7K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,675 bearers of the surname Nissen in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.56 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6925th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Nissen, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.3%) and Hispanic (3.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Nissen
The surname Nissen originated in Denmark and is believed to have derived from the Old Danish words "nis" or "nisse," meaning a small mythological creature or elf associated with good luck and prosperity. The name likely emerged as a descriptive nickname or a reference to someone's occupation or association with these mythical beings.
The earliest recorded instances of the Nissen surname date back to the late 15th century in Danish records and documents. Some variations in spelling include Nissen, Nissen, Nissen, and Nissen. These variations were common due to regional dialects and the inconsistencies in record-keeping during that time period.
One of the earliest known bearers of the Nissen surname was Hans Nissen, a merchant and landowner who lived in the town of Odense, Denmark, in the late 16th century. His family's lineage can be traced back to the early 1500s in the same region.
In the 17th century, the Nissen surname appeared in several historical records, including the Danish Census of 1660, where numerous families with this name were documented in various parts of the country.
Notable individuals with the Nissen surname throughout history include:
1. Peter Nissen (1592-1667), a Danish theologian and professor at the University of Copenhagen.
2. Hartvig Nissen (1683-1754), a Norwegian-born Danish mathematician and astronomer.
3. Ferdinando Nissen (1789-1859), an Italian architect and archaeologist known for his excavations in Pompeii.
4. Waldemar Nissen (1846-1917), a German gymnast and educator who developed the Nissen apparatus, a piece of gymnastics equipment still widely used today.
5. Inger Nissen (1908-1991), a Norwegian actress and singer who performed in several films and stage productions.
The Nissen surname has also been associated with various place names throughout Denmark, such as Nissen's Farm (Nissens Gård) and Nissen's Hill (Nissens Høj), further indicating the long-standing presence of this name in the region.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Nissen
Among Census respondents with the surname Nissen, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.3%) and Hispanic (3.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Nissen 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 Nissen surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.0% · 4,300
- Two or more races3.3% · 152
- Hispanic or Latino3.0% · 140
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 43
- Black or African American0.4% · 20
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 20
Timeline
Historical Census data for Nissen
Nissen 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
#6,796
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,964
-54 bearers (-1.1%)
Per 100,000 1.68
Rank movement Down 537 places
2020
#6,925
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,675
-289 bearers (-5.8%)
Per 100,000 1.56
Rank movement Down 129 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,259 | 5,018 | 1.86 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,796 | 4,964 | 1.68 | -54 bearers (-1.1%) | Down 537 places |
| 2020 | #6,925 | 4,675 | 1.56 | -289 bearers (-5.8%) | Down 129 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 Nissen 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 | #6,796 | #6,925 | -1.9% |
| Count | 4,964 | 4,675 | -5.8% |
| Per 100K | 1.68 | 1.56 | -6.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Nissen bearers went from 4,964 to 4,675 (-5.8% change). The surname moved down 129 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,796 to #6,925.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Nissen
FAQ
Nissen surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Nissen?
Name Census estimates that about 5,361 living Americans carry the surname Nissen. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 63,935 residents.
How common is Nissen?
Nissen ranks #6,925 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.56 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 4,675 people with the surname Nissen. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,361), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.56 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.56 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Nissen.
Has Nissen become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Nissen went from 4,964 recorded bearers to 4,675. That is a decrease of 289 (-5.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #6,796 to #6,925.
What does the Census say about the background of Nissen?
Among Census respondents with the surname Nissen, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.3%) and Hispanic (3.0%). 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 Nissen in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.0% (4,300 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Nissen appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.0%), Two or More Races (3.3%), Hispanic (3.0%). 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 Nissen (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 Nissen mean?
A Danish-Norwegian patronymic surname meaning "son of Nis," a diminutive of Niels or Nikolaj (Nicholas). 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 Nissen (1.56 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 share the surname Nissen?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.