2000
#126,400
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 125
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Nuesse
A surname derived from a placename indicating one's origin or residence.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 132 Americans carry the last name Nuesse. That puts it at #145,757 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,596,624 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Nuesse 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
132
1 in 2,596,624
Census rank
#145,757
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
115
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 115 bearers of the surname Nuesse in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 145757th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Nuesse, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.6%) and Black (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Nuesse
The surname Nuesse is of German origin, tracing its roots back to the Middle Ages in the 14th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old German word "nuss," which means "nut" or "walnut." This suggests that the name may have initially been a descriptive surname, possibly referring to someone who lived near a walnut tree or grove, or someone who was involved in the cultivation or trade of walnuts.
The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in various historical records from the regions of Saxony and Thuringia in central Germany. It is also possible that the name originated from a place name, as many surnames emerged from the practice of identifying individuals by their place of origin or residence.
One of the earliest mentions of the name Nuesse can be traced back to a manuscript from the year 1384, which refers to a certain Johannes Nuesse, a merchant from the city of Leipzig. This indicates that the name was already established in that region during the late medieval period.
In the 15th century, records show a Henricus Nuesse, born around 1420, who was a prominent scholar and theologian at the University of Erfurt. He is noted for his contributions to the study of canon law and his involvement in the religious debates of the time.
Another notable figure with the surname Nuesse was Johann Nuesse, a German painter and engraver who lived from 1525 to 1591. He was known for his detailed etchings depicting religious and mythological scenes, and his works can be found in various art collections across Europe.
During the 17th century, a family by the name of Nuesse was recorded as landowners in the town of Weissenfels, in the historical region of Saxony-Anhalt. This suggests that the name had become well-established among the local nobility and gentry.
In the 19th century, a prominent figure named Friedrich Nuesse, born in 1818, was a respected engineer and inventor who contributed to the development of early steam engines and locomotives. His innovations played a significant role in the industrialization of Germany during that period.
Throughout its history, the surname Nuesse has also been associated with various place names, such as Nussbach (meaning "walnut stream") or Nussdorf (meaning "walnut village"), which further reinforces the connection between the name and the walnut tree or its cultivation.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Nuesse
Among Census respondents with the surname Nuesse, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.6%) and Black (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Nuesse 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 Nuesse surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.9% · 108
- Hispanic or Latino2.6% · 3
- Black or African American1.7% · 2
- Two or more races1.7% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Nuesse
Nuesse 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
#132,206
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 128
+3 bearers (+2.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 5,806 places
2020
#145,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
-13 bearers (-10.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 13,551 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #126,400 | 125 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #132,206 | 128 | 0.04 | +3 bearers (+2.4%) | Down 5,806 places |
| 2020 | #145,757 | 115 | 0.04 | -13 bearers (-10.2%) | Down 13,551 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 Nuesse 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 | #132,206 | #145,757 | -10.2% |
| Count | 128 | 115 | -10.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -3.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Nuesse bearers went from 128 to 115 (-10.2% change). The surname moved down 13,551 positions in the national ranking, going from #132,206 to #145,757.
FAQ
Nuesse surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Nuesse?
Name Census estimates that about 132 living Americans carry the surname Nuesse. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,596,624 residents.
How common is Nuesse?
Nuesse ranks #145,757 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 115 people with the surname Nuesse. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (132), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Nuesse.
Has Nuesse become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Nuesse went from 128 recorded bearers to 115. That is a decrease of 13 (-10.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #132,206 to #145,757.
What does the Census say about the background of Nuesse?
Among Census respondents with the surname Nuesse, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.6%) and Black (1.7%). 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 Nuesse in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.9% (108 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Nuesse appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.9%), Hispanic (2.6%), Black (1.7%). 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 Nuesse (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 Nuesse mean?
A surname derived from a placename indicating one's origin or residence. 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 Nuesse (0.04 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 Nuesse?
For a quick modern take, check how many Americans have the surname Nuesse on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.