2000
#12,168
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,347
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.87
Rare Last name
Nutting
An English occupational surname for someone who gathered or sold nuts, or lived near a nut tree.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,515 Americans carry the last name Nutting. That puts it at #13,309 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.73 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 136,284 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Nutting 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 Nutting with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.5K
1 in 136,284
Census rank
#13,309
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,193 bearers of the surname Nutting in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.73 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13309th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Nutting, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.6%) and Hispanic (3.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Nutting
The surname Nutting is of English origin, derived from the medieval occupation of gathering nuts, specifically hazelnuts, from the forests and woodlands. The name first emerged in the 13th century, with early recordings in various forms such as Nuttere, Nuttar, and Nutteman.
In the Hundred Rolls of 1273, a record of landholders in England, there is mention of a Walter le Nutter residing in Norfolk. This is one of the earliest documented instances of the surname. The name's association with the gathering of nuts is further evidenced by its appearance in the Huntingdonshire Subsidy Rolls of 1327, which list a John le Nuttere.
The Nutting surname has its roots in various regions of England, including Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex, and Cambridgeshire, areas known for their abundant forests and woodlands. The name's prevalence in these areas likely stems from the importance of nut gathering as a means of sustenance and income during medieval times.
One notable individual bearing the Nutting surname was John Nutting, born in 1675 in Ipswich, Massachusetts. He was a prominent figure in the American colonies and served as a military officer during King William's War and Queen Anne's War. His descendants went on to establish themselves in various parts of New England.
Another historical figure was Rufus Nutting, born in 1788 in Merrimack County, New Hampshire. He was a respected Baptist minister and author, known for his works on theological subjects. His son, Gallusha Aaron Nutting, born in 1822, followed in his father's footsteps and became a prominent Baptist clergyman and educator.
In the realm of literature, Mary Adelaide Nutting, born in 1858 in Waterville, Maine, made significant contributions as a pioneer in the field of nursing education. She founded the first educational program for nurses at Johns Hopkins Hospital and played a vital role in establishing nursing as a respected profession.
The Nutting surname also has ties to England's aristocracy. Sir John Nutting, born in 1856, was a British diplomat and politician who served as the Governor of Jamaica from 1888 to 1897. He was knighted in 1897 for his distinguished service.
Throughout its history, the Nutting surname has been associated with various occupations, from nut gatherers and farmers to clergymen, educators, and diplomats. Its origins in the medieval forests of England have evolved into a name carried by individuals who have left their mark across various fields and continents.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Nutting
Among Census respondents with the surname Nutting, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.6%) and Hispanic (3.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Nutting 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 Nutting surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.0% · 1,974
- Two or more races4.6% · 101
- Hispanic or Latino3.2% · 70
- Black or African American0.9% · 20
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 16
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 12
Timeline
Historical Census data for Nutting
Nutting 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
#13,073
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,349
+2 bearers (+0.1%)
Per 100,000 0.80
Rank movement Down 905 places
2020
#13,309
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,193
-156 bearers (-6.6%)
Per 100,000 0.73
Rank movement Down 236 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #12,168 | 2,347 | 0.87 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #13,073 | 2,349 | 0.80 | +2 bearers (+0.1%) | Down 905 places |
| 2020 | #13,309 | 2,193 | 0.73 | -156 bearers (-6.6%) | Down 236 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 Nutting 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 | #13,073 | #13,309 | -1.8% |
| Count | 2,349 | 2,193 | -6.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.80 | 0.73 | -8.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Nutting bearers went from 2,349 to 2,193 (-6.6% change). The surname moved down 236 positions in the national ranking, going from #13,073 to #13,309.
FAQ
Nutting surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Nutting?
Name Census estimates that about 2,515 living Americans carry the surname Nutting. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 136,284 residents.
How common is Nutting?
Nutting ranks #13,309 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.73 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 2,193 people with the surname Nutting. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,515), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.73 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.73 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 Nutting.
Has Nutting become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Nutting went from 2,349 recorded bearers to 2,193. That is a decrease of 156 (-6.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #13,073 to #13,309.
What does the Census say about the background of Nutting?
Among Census respondents with the surname Nutting, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.6%) and Hispanic (3.2%). 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 Nutting in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.0% (1,974 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Nutting appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.0%), Two or More Races (4.6%), Hispanic (3.2%). 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 Nutting (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 Nutting mean?
An English occupational surname for someone who gathered or sold nuts, or lived near a nut tree. 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 Nutting (0.73 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 Nutting?
You can see how many people have the surname Nutting on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.