2000
#7,518
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,082
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.51
Rare Last name
Nottingham
Habitational surname referring to someone from the city of Nottingham, England, meaning "homestead of Snot's people."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,575 Americans carry the last name Nottingham. That puts it at #7,962 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.33 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 74,919 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Nottingham 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 Nottingham with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.6K
1 in 74,919
Census rank
#7,962
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,990 bearers of the surname Nottingham in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.33 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7962nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Nottingham, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.4%. The next largest groups are Black (10.5%) and Two or More Races (3.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Nottingham
The surname Nottingham is an English locational surname that originated in the medieval county of Nottinghamshire. It is derived from the Old English words "Snotingaham," which translates to "the homestead or village of Snot's people."
The earliest known record of the name dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Snotingeham." This suggests that the name was already in use by the late 11th century, likely referring to people who lived in or came from the town of Nottingham.
In the 13th century, the name appeared in various forms, such as "de Notingham," "de Notyngham," and "de Notingheham," reflecting the evolution of the English language and the influence of Norman scribes.
One of the earliest known bearers of the surname was William de Notingham, a prominent landowner who lived in the late 12th century. Another notable figure was John de Notyngham, a 14th-century cleric and author who wrote several theological works.
During the 15th and 16th centuries, the spelling of the surname became more standardized as "Nottingham." Sir John Nottingham (1537-1623) was a notable figure of this era, serving as Lord Chief Justice of the Common Pleas in England.
In the 17th century, Edward Nottingham (1627-1691) was a prominent English lawyer and statesman who served as Lord Chancellor of England under King William III.
The 18th century saw the rise of Heneage Nottingham (1719-1786), a British politician and diplomat who served as Secretary of State for the Northern Department.
In the 19th century, John Nottingham (1787-1863) was a prominent English industrialist and entrepreneur who played a significant role in the development of the Nottinghamshire lace industry.
Throughout its history, the surname Nottingham has been associated with individuals from various walks of life, including politicians, lawyers, clergymen, and industrialists. Its origins can be traced back to the medieval town of Nottingham, and its evolution reflects the changing linguistic and cultural landscape of England over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Nottingham
Among Census respondents with the surname Nottingham, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.4%. The next largest groups are Black (10.5%) and Two or More Races (3.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Nottingham 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 Nottingham surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White81.4% · 3,248
- Black or African American10.5% · 417
- Two or more races3.3% · 133
- Hispanic or Latino3.1% · 124
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.1% · 43
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 25
Timeline
Historical Census data for Nottingham
Nottingham 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
#7,944
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,165
+83 bearers (+2.0%)
Per 100,000 1.41
Rank movement Down 426 places
2020
#7,962
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,990
-175 bearers (-4.2%)
Per 100,000 1.33
Rank movement Down 18 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,518 | 4,082 | 1.51 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,944 | 4,165 | 1.41 | +83 bearers (+2.0%) | Down 426 places |
| 2020 | #7,962 | 3,990 | 1.33 | -175 bearers (-4.2%) | Down 18 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 Nottingham 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 | #7,944 | #7,962 | -0.2% |
| Count | 4,165 | 3,990 | -4.2% |
| Per 100K | 1.41 | 1.33 | -5.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Nottingham bearers went from 4,165 to 3,990 (-4.2% change). The surname moved down 18 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,944 to #7,962.
FAQ
Nottingham surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Nottingham?
Name Census estimates that about 4,575 living Americans carry the surname Nottingham. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 74,919 residents.
How common is Nottingham?
Nottingham ranks #7,962 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.33 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 3,990 people with the surname Nottingham. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,575), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.33 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.33 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 Nottingham.
Has Nottingham become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Nottingham went from 4,165 recorded bearers to 3,990. That is a decrease of 175 (-4.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #7,944 to #7,962.
What does the Census say about the background of Nottingham?
Among Census respondents with the surname Nottingham, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.4%. The next largest groups are Black (10.5%) and Two or More Races (3.3%). 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 Nottingham in the 2020 Census, accounting for 81.4% (3,248 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Nottingham appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (81.4%), Black (10.5%), Two or More Races (3.3%). 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 Nottingham (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 Nottingham mean?
Habitational surname referring to someone from the city of Nottingham, England, meaning "homestead of Snot's people." 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 Nottingham (1.33 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 common is the surname Nottingham?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people are called Nottingham at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.