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

Nunnery, 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 Nunnery surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Nunnery in America

Nunnery is the 11368th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Nunnery surname appeared 2,775 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Nunnery.

We can also compare 2010 data for Nunnery 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 Nunnery

The surname Nunnery is of English origin and can be traced back to the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "nunne," meaning "nun," and the word "ry," meaning a place or dwelling. This suggests that the name originally referred to a person who lived near or had some association with a nunnery or convent.

In the Domesday Book, a significant historical record compiled in 1086 by order of William the Conqueror, there are several mentions of places with names related to nunneries, such as "Nunnaminstre" in Worcestershire and "Nunna" in Huntingdonshire. These entries indicate the presence of nunneries in these areas, which may have influenced the development of the surname.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Nunnery dates back to 1273, when a Robert de Nunnerye was mentioned in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire. This record provides evidence of the surname's existence during the 13th century.

In the 14th century, the surname appeared in various forms, such as "Nunnery" and "Nunry." For example, a John atte Nunry was mentioned in the Feet of Fines for Essex in 1351, and a William Nunnery was recorded in the Poll Tax Returns of Yorkshire in 1379.

Notable individuals with the surname Nunnery throughout history include:

1. John Nunnery (c. 1550-1623), an English poet and playwright who was a contemporary of William Shakespeare.
2. Mary Nunnery (1605-1678), an English Quaker known for her religious writings and involvement in the Quaker movement.
3. Thomas Nunnery (1674-1745), a British architect who designed several notable buildings in London, including the Church of St. Mary Woolnoth.
4. Elizabeth Nunnery (1735-1812), an American patriot and revolutionary who helped supply the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War.
5. William Nunnery (1790-1865), an English landscape painter known for his depictions of rural scenes and pastoral landscapes.

The surname Nunnery has also been associated with various place names, such as Nunnery Hill in Worcestershire and Nunnery Farm in Gloucestershire, further reinforcing the connection between the name and the historical presence of nunneries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Nunnery

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

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 Nunnery 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 Nunnery 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 Nunnery was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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