Explore the Family Name Nessen

The meaning of Nessen

1. German: metronymic from a shortened form of the personal name Agnes. 2. German: habitational name from any of several places in Lower Saxony called Nesse. 3. Americanized form of Danish or North German Nissen. Some characteristic forenames: Scandinavian Anders, Nils.

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name Nessen in the United States?

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname Nessen saw a slight improvement between 2000 and 2010. The rank of the surname moved from 52,714 in 2000 to 51,176 in 2010, marking an increase of 2.92%. Furthermore, the count of individuals bearing the name Nessen also rose from 369 to 407 during this period, signifying a growth rate of 10.3%. However, the proportion of the Nessen surname per 100k population remained unchanged at 0.14.

20002010Change
Rank#52,714#51,1762.92%
Count36940710.3%
Proportion per 100k0.140.140%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Nessen

Turning to the ethnic identity associated with the Nessen surname, the Decennial U.S. Census data shows some shifts from 2000 to 2010. The majority of bearers of the name fall under the White ethnicity, although there was a slight decrease from 97.83% in 2000 to 95.09% in 2010. During this decade, the data indicates an emergence of diversity in ethnicity among persons with the Nessen surname. For example, the Hispanic and those identifying as two or more races made up 1.97% and 1.72% respectively in 2010, which were not present in the 2000 data. However, no individuals named Nessen identified as Black, Asian/Pacific Islander, or American Indian and Alaskan Native in either census year.

20002010Change
White97.83%95.09%-2.8%
Hispanic0%1.97%0%
Two or More Races0%1.72%0%
Asian/Pacific Islander0%0%0%
Black0%0%0%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0%0%0%