Explore the Family Name Nel
The meaning of Nel
1. Altered form of French Néel (see Neel 2), established in South Africa. 2. Dutch: variant of Nell 1. 3. English: possibly a variant of Neal, Nell or Knell. History: Most, if not all, of the South African bearers of the surname Nel (see 1 above) trace their origin to Guillaume Néel, a Huguenot from Normandy, France, who arrived with his wife Jeanne la Batte and child(ren) in the Dutch Cape Colony via the Netherlands c.1690. He is recognized as a French Huguenot ancestor by the Huguenot Society of South Africa.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Nel in the United States?
Based on data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname "Nel" has increased significantly between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it was ranked 80,812th in terms of popularity among all surnames, but by 2010, its rank had improved to 59,171st. This represents a positive change of approximately 26.78%. The count of individuals with this surname also saw a substantial rise from 218 in 2000 to 342 in 2010, an increase of 56.88%. Likewise, the proportion of people with the surname Nel per 100,000 increased by 50% from 0.08 to 0.12 during the same period.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #80,812 | #59,171 | 26.78% |
| Count | 218 | 342 | 56.88% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.08 | 0.12 | 50% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Nel
The ethnic identity associated with the surname "Nel" also experienced changes between 2000 and 2010 according to data from the Decennial U.S. Census. In 2000, the majority of individuals with this surname identified as White (72.48%), followed by Black (11.01%), and Asian/Pacific Islander (4.59%). By 2010, the percentage of those identifying as White had increased to 81.87%, while the percentage of those identifying as Black decreased to 8.77%. Interestingly, the percentage of individuals who identified as Asian/Pacific Islander rose slightly to 5.26%. However, the percentage of those identifying with two or more races dropped significantly from 5.96% to 2.05%. Data for those identifying as Hispanic or American Indian and Alaskan Native was suppressed for privacy in 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 72.48% | 81.87% | 12.96% |
| Black | 11.01% | 8.77% | -20.35% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 4.59% | 5.26% | 14.6% |
| Two or More Races | 5.96% | 2.05% | -65.6% |
| Hispanic | 2.29% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 3.67% | 0% | 0% |