Find out how popular the last name Nunnelly is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Nunnelly.

Nunnelly, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Nunnelly surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Nunnelly in America

Nunnelly is the 50851st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Nunnelly surname appeared 410 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Nunnelly.

We can also compare 2010 data for Nunnelly to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Nunnelly

The surname Nunnelly is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period, likely derived from the Old English word "nunne," meaning "nun," and "leah," meaning "clearing" or "meadow." This suggests that the name may have referred to someone who lived near a meadow or clearing associated with a nunnery or convent.

The earliest known record of the Nunnelly surname dates back to the 13th century, with a reference to a Robert de Nunneleygh in the Pipe Rolls of Staffordshire in 1243. This indicates that the name was already established in the region by that time.

In the 16th century, the surname appears in various spellings, such as Nunley, Nuneley, and Nunneley, reflecting the variations in pronunciation and spelling common during that period. One notable figure from this time was John Nuneley, a wealthy merchant from Yorkshire who was mentioned in the records of the Court of Chancery in 1587.

As the Nunnelly family expanded and migrated across England, they established roots in various counties, including Staffordshire, Yorkshire, and Derbyshire. In the 17th century, the surname is found in parish records and local histories, such as the mention of Robert Nunneley in the Derbyshire parish registers of 1663.

During the 18th century, the Nunnelly surname continued to spread across England, with notable individuals like William Nunneley (1683-1753), a prominent landowner and justice of the peace in Staffordshire, and Thomas Nunnelly (1732-1809), a respected clergyman and author from Yorkshire.

As the British Empire expanded, the Nunnelly family also ventured beyond England's shores, with some members settling in the American colonies and other parts of the world. One such individual was John Nunnelly (1798-1876), a pioneer settler in Ohio who established the town of Nunnelly Township.

Throughout its history, the Nunnelly surname has been associated with various professions and achievements, from clergymen and merchants to landowners and pioneers. While not a widespread name, it has left its mark on the historical records of England and beyond.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Nunnelly

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Nunnelly.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Nunnelly was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Nunnelly has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Nunnelly was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Nunnelly, please contact us.

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