2000
#3,679
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,857
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.28
Uncommon Last name
Neeley
An Irish surname derived from Ó Niallaigh, meaning "descendant of Niallach," a personal name meaning "champion" or "passionate."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 10,020 Americans carry the last name Neeley. That puts it at #3,944 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.92 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 34,207 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Neeley 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.
Bearers in the US
10K
1 in 34,207
Census rank
#3,944
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
8.7K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 8,738 bearers of the surname Neeley in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.92 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3944th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Neeley, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.4%. The next largest groups are Black (8.8%) and Two or More Races (4.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Neeley
The surname Neeley has its origins in England, with roots tracing back to the medieval period. It is believed to be a locational name, derived from the Old English words "ne," meaning "near," and "leah," referring to a woodland or clearing. This suggests that the earliest bearers of this name resided near a wooded area or clearing.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the Neeley surname can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, a comprehensive record of landowners and property in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The entry lists a certain "Nigellus de Neylande," indicating the existence of the name and its association with a specific location.
During the 13th century, the surname appeared in various spellings, including Neyley, Nayley, and Naylye, reflecting the natural evolution of language and regional variations in pronunciation and spelling. Records from this period show individuals with the Neeley surname residing in counties such as Shropshire, Staffordshire, and Warwickshire.
Notable individuals bearing the Neeley surname throughout history include Sir John Neeley (1515-1587), a prominent landowner and member of the gentry in Northamptonshire, and Robert Neeley (1642-1718), a prominent merchant and philanthropist in London who made significant contributions to educational institutions.
In the 17th century, the Neeley family had established a presence in the American colonies. One of the earliest recorded instances is that of William Neeley (1625-1698), who settled in Virginia in the mid-1600s and became a successful farmer and landowner.
Another notable figure was Elizabeth Neeley (1768-1845), a pioneer and early settler in Kentucky, who was renowned for her resilience and bravery in the face of adversity during the westward expansion of the United States.
The 19th century saw the rise of several accomplished individuals with the Neeley surname, such as Reverend Thomas Neeley (1812-1891), a prominent Baptist minister and author in Ohio, and Colonel James Neeley (1837-1918), a Union Army officer during the American Civil War who was awarded the Medal of Honor for his valor at the Battle of Gettysburg.
Throughout its history, the Neeley surname has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including scholars, military leaders, entrepreneurs, and civic leaders, reflecting the diverse contributions made by those bearing this name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Neeley
Among Census respondents with the surname Neeley, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.4%. The next largest groups are Black (8.8%) and Two or More Races (4.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Neeley 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 Neeley surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White81.4% · 7,109
- Black or African American8.8% · 770
- Two or more races4.7% · 409
- Hispanic or Latino3.7% · 321
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 72
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 57
Timeline
Historical Census data for Neeley
Neeley 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
#3,816
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,288
+431 bearers (+4.9%)
Per 100,000 3.15
Rank movement Down 137 places
2020
#3,944
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,738
-550 bearers (-5.9%)
Per 100,000 2.92
Rank movement Down 128 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,679 | 8,857 | 3.28 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,816 | 9,288 | 3.15 | +431 bearers (+4.9%) | Down 137 places |
| 2020 | #3,944 | 8,738 | 2.92 | -550 bearers (-5.9%) | Down 128 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 Neeley 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 | #3,816 | #3,944 | -3.4% |
| Count | 9,288 | 8,738 | -5.9% |
| Per 100K | 3.15 | 2.92 | -7.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Neeley bearers went from 9,288 to 8,738 (-5.9% change). The surname moved down 128 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,816 to #3,944.
FAQ
Neeley surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Neeley?
Name Census estimates that about 10,020 living Americans carry the surname Neeley. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 34,207 residents.
How common is Neeley?
Neeley ranks #3,944 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.92 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 8,738 people with the surname Neeley. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (10,020), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.92 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.92 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Neeley.
Has Neeley become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Neeley went from 9,288 recorded bearers to 8,738. That is a decrease of 550 (-5.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #3,816 to #3,944.
What does the Census say about the background of Neeley?
Among Census respondents with the surname Neeley, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.4%. The next largest groups are Black (8.8%) and Two or More Races (4.7%). 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 Neeley in the 2020 Census, accounting for 81.4% (7,109 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Neeley appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (81.4%), Black (8.8%), Two or More Races (4.7%). 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 Neeley (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 Neeley mean?
An Irish surname derived from Ó Niallaigh, meaning "descendant of Niallach," a personal name meaning "champion" or "passionate." 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 Neeley (2.92 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 have the surname Neeley?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.