Explore the Family Name Nissley
The meaning of Nissley
1. Americanized form of Swiss German Nüssli: topographic name for someone who lived near a place where nut trees grew, from Middle High German nuz ‘nut’ + the diminutive suffix -le, -lein. Compare Nisley, Nisly, Nissly, and also Nicely. 2. Americanized form of South German and Swiss German Nüssle (see Nuessle 1), a cognate of 1 above, or South German Nissle (see Nuessle 2). 3. Possibly also an Americanized form of North German Nissler or Nüssler: nickname for a slow worker, from Low German nusse ‘slow, weak person’. History: This (see 1 above) is the name of a Swiss Mennonite family, originally spelled Nüssli, but among the Mennonites in the US established only in various altered forms, Nissley being the most common one. The progenitor of the family was Jakob Nüssli from the canton of Zurich, Switzerland, who died in Lancaster County, PA, c.1750. See also Nicely.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Nissley in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Nissley saw a slight increase in popularity from 2000 to 2010. In 2000, it ranked 18,953 in popularity, but by 2010, it had climbed to 18,529, showing a growth of 2.24%. This trend was reflected in the number of people with the surname as well; in 2000, there were 1,331 individuals with the name Nissley which rose to 1,489 in 2010, marking an 11.87% increase. The proportion of people named Nissley per 100k also grew by 2.04% during this period.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #18,953 | #18,529 | 2.24% |
| Count | 1,331 | 1,489 | 11.87% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.49 | 0.5 | 2.04% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Nissley
The ethnicity associated with the surname Nissley also showed some changes between 2000 and 2010 as revealed by the Decennial U.S. Census. The majority remained predominantly White, accounting for 98.5% in 2000 and 97.38% in 2010. However, there was a noticeable rise in people of Hispanic ethnicity, from 0.38% to 0.81%, representing a substantial change of 113.16%. Additionally, the data suggests a small presence of Asian/Pacific Islander and those identifying with two or more races. The former group emerged in 2010, while the latter decreased slightly from 0.60% to 0.47%. The categories of Black and American Indian and Alaskan Native recorded no individuals under the Nissley surname for both years surveyed.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 98.5% | 97.38% | -1.14% |
| Hispanic | 0.38% | 0.81% | 113.16% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0% | 0.74% | 0% |
| Two or More Races | 0.6% | 0.47% | -21.67% |
| Black | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0% | 0% |