2000
#1,437
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 22,814
First available Census row
Per 100,000 8.46
Uncommon Last name
Nix
A patronymic surname derived from the given name Nicholas, or an occupational surname referring to a water sprite.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 27,628 Americans carry the last name Nix. That puts it at #1,439 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 8.06 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 12,406 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Nix 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 Nix with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
28K
1 in 12,406
Census rank
#1,439
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
8.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
24K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 24,093 bearers of the surname Nix in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 8.06 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1439th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Nix, the largest self-reported group is White at 77.5%. The next largest groups are Black (13.2%) and Two or More Races (4.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Nix
The surname Nix originated in Germany, with records dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Middle High German word "nix," meaning a water sprite or goblin. This is likely a reference to the mythical creatures associated with rivers and streams.
In medieval times, the name Nix was prominent in the regions of Bavaria and Saxony. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in a 1287 document from the town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber, which mentions a "Conrad Nix" as a landowner.
The name Nix can also be traced back to certain place names. For instance, the village of Nixdorf in Saxony may have contributed to the surname's origins. Additionally, the variant spelling "Nicks" was found in records from the city of Cologne in the 14th century.
In the 15th century, the name Nix gained further prominence with the birth of Johann Nix (1470-1538), a German theologian and humanist scholar who served as the Bishop of Angers in France. Another notable figure was Wilhelm Nix (1573-1644), a German composer and organist known for his sacred works.
The Domesday Book, a medieval survey of landowners in England, does not contain any direct references to the name Nix. However, it is possible that some early variations of the name existed in England during that period.
Other historical figures with the surname Nix include:
1. Nathaniel Nix (1627-1688), an English merchant and member of the Virginia House of Burgesses.
2. Johann Samuel Nix (1680-1744), a German painter and engraver known for his landscapes and religious works.
3. John Nix (1737-1796), an American soldier who fought in the Revolutionary War.
4. Elizabeth Nix (1815-1889), an American pioneer and one of the first settlers in the Oregon Territory.
5. John Nix (1801-1879), an English cricketer who played for Kent County Cricket Club in the early 19th century.
While the surname Nix has its roots in Germany, it has since spread to various parts of the world, carried by migration and cultural exchange over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Nix
Among Census respondents with the surname Nix, the largest self-reported group is White at 77.5%. The next largest groups are Black (13.2%) and Two or More Races (4.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Nix 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 Nix surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White77.5% · 18,670
- Black or African American13.2% · 3,171
- Two or more races4.7% · 1,123
- Hispanic or Latino3.3% · 789
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 192
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 148
Timeline
Historical Census data for Nix
Nix 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
#1,438
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 24,786
+1,972 bearers (+8.6%)
Per 100,000 8.40
Rank movement Down 1 places
2020
#1,439
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 24,093
-693 bearers (-2.8%)
Per 100,000 8.06
Rank movement Down 1 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,437 | 22,814 | 8.46 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,438 | 24,786 | 8.40 | +1,972 bearers (+8.6%) | Down 1 places |
| 2020 | #1,439 | 24,093 | 8.06 | -693 bearers (-2.8%) | Down 1 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 Nix 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 | #1,438 | #1,439 | -0.1% |
| Count | 24,786 | 24,093 | -2.8% |
| Per 100K | 8.40 | 8.06 | -4.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Nix bearers went from 24,786 to 24,093 (-2.8% change). The surname moved down 1 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,438 to #1,439.
FAQ
Nix surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Nix?
Name Census estimates that about 27,628 living Americans carry the surname Nix. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 12,406 residents.
How common is Nix?
Nix ranks #1,439 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 8.06 per 100,000 residents, which is about 8 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 24,093 people with the surname Nix. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (27,628), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 8.06 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 8.06 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 8 of them to have the surname Nix.
Has Nix become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Nix went from 24,786 recorded bearers to 24,093. That is a decrease of 693 (-2.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #1,438 to #1,439.
What does the Census say about the background of Nix?
Among Census respondents with the surname Nix, the largest self-reported group is White at 77.5%. The next largest groups are Black (13.2%) and Two or More Races (4.7%). 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 Nix in the 2020 Census, accounting for 77.5% (18,670 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Nix appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (77.5%), Black (13.2%), Two or More Races (4.7%). 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 Nix (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 Nix mean?
A patronymic surname derived from the given name Nicholas, or an occupational surname referring to a water sprite. 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 Nix (8.06 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 Nix?
If you just want to know how common the surname Nix is, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.