2000
#37,986
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 549
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.20
Very Rare Last name
Nunnelley
Denoting someone who lived near or worked at a nunnery.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 604 Americans carry the last name Nunnelley. That puts it at #44,004 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.18 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 567,474 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Nunnelley 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
604
1 in 567,474
Census rank
#44,004
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
527
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 527 bearers of the surname Nunnelley in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.18 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 44004th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Nunnelley, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.0%) and Hispanic (2.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Nunnelley
The surname Nunnelley has its origins in the British Isles, dating back to the medieval period in England. It is believed to be derived from a topographic name, referring to a geographical feature or location. The name may have evolved from the Old English words "nunnan" and "leah," meaning "nun's meadow" or "nun's clearing."
One of the earliest known references to the name can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of land ownership in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The Domesday Book lists several individuals with the surname spelled as "Nunnelea" or similar variations.
In the 13th century, records show a John de Nunnelee residing in the county of Staffordshire, England. Around the same time, a Robert de Nunneleye was documented in the county of Warwickshire. These early spellings demonstrate the evolution of the surname from its Old English roots.
The name Nunnelley is also closely associated with the village of Nunneley, located in the county of Worcestershire, England. It is possible that the surname originated from this place name, with individuals adopting the name to indicate their place of residence or origin.
Notable individuals bearing the surname Nunnelley throughout history include:
1. Thomas Nunnelley (c. 1540-1597), an English clergyman and academic who served as the Rector of Lincoln College, Oxford, from 1584 until his death.
2. William Nunnelley (1675-1729), a British merchant and landowner who played a prominent role in the development of the Virginia colony in the early 18th century.
3. Elizabeth Nunnelley (1798-1872), an English author and poet, known for her collection of romantic verses published in 1845.
4. John Nunnelley (1825-1901), a British architect renowned for his work on several notable churches and public buildings in London during the Victorian era.
5. Sarah Nunnelley (1861-1938), an American educator and women's rights activist who worked tirelessly to promote educational opportunities for women in the southern United States.
While the surname Nunnelley is not among the most common names, it has a rich history that can be traced back to the medieval period in England, with connections to both geographical locations and notable individuals who have left their mark on various fields throughout the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Nunnelley
Among Census respondents with the surname Nunnelley, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.0%) and Hispanic (2.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Nunnelley 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 Nunnelley surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.2% · 486
- Two or more races4.0% · 21
- Hispanic or Latino2.1% · 11
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 4
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 3
- Black or African American0.4% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Nunnelley
Nunnelley 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
#41,234
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 528
-21 bearers (-3.8%)
Per 100,000 0.18
Rank movement Down 3,248 places
2020
#44,004
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 527
-1 bearers (-0.2%)
Per 100,000 0.18
Rank movement Down 2,770 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #37,986 | 549 | 0.20 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #41,234 | 528 | 0.18 | -21 bearers (-3.8%) | Down 3,248 places |
| 2020 | #44,004 | 527 | 0.18 | -1 bearers (-0.2%) | Down 2,770 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 Nunnelley 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 | #41,234 | #44,004 | -6.7% |
| Count | 528 | 527 | -0.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.18 | 0.18 | -2.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Nunnelley bearers went from 528 to 527 (-0.2% change). The surname moved down 2,770 positions in the national ranking, going from #41,234 to #44,004.
FAQ
Nunnelley surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Nunnelley?
Name Census estimates that about 604 living Americans carry the surname Nunnelley. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 567,474 residents.
How common is Nunnelley?
Nunnelley ranks #44,004 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.18 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 527 people with the surname Nunnelley. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (604), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.18 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.18 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 Nunnelley.
Has Nunnelley become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Nunnelley went from 528 recorded bearers to 527. That is a decrease of 1 (-0.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #41,234 to #44,004.
What does the Census say about the background of Nunnelley?
Among Census respondents with the surname Nunnelley, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.0%) and Hispanic (2.1%). 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 Nunnelley in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.2% (486 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Nunnelley appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.2%), Two or More Races (4.0%), Hispanic (2.1%). 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 Nunnelley (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 Nunnelley mean?
Denoting someone who lived near or worked at a nunnery. 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 Nunnelley (0.18 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 Americans have the surname Nunnelley?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.