2000
#90,652
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 189
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.07
Very Rare Last name
Nispel
A surname derived from a geographical location or place name.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 224 Americans carry the last name Nispel. That puts it at #99,304 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.07 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,530,153 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Nispel 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
224
1 in 1,530,153
Census rank
#99,304
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
195
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 195 bearers of the surname Nispel in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.07 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 99304th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Nispel, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (7.7%) and Hispanic (4.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Nispel
The surname NISPEL originated in England during the 13th century. It is derived from the Old English words "hnipol" and "hnappian," which refer to a person who napped or slept frequently. The name was initially associated with individuals who had a tendency to doze off or were known for their sleepy dispositions.
In the early 14th century, the name NISPEL appeared in various county records and tax rolls across southern England, particularly in the counties of Sussex and Kent. The earliest recorded instance of the name can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex from 1327, where a John Nispel is listed as a resident of the village of Rottingdean.
The NISPEL surname is also linked to the village of Nipsells, located in the county of Kent. This place name, which dates back to the 12th century, is believed to have influenced the spelling and pronunciation of the surname over time.
One of the notable figures associated with the NISPEL name was Sir William Nispel, a prominent merchant and landowner who lived in the 15th century. He was born in 1427 in the town of Rye, Sussex, and played a significant role in the local wool trade, amassing considerable wealth and influence during his lifetime.
In the 16th century, the NISPEL surname gained further recognition through the works of the playwright and poet, Thomas Nispel (1547-1624). Born in Stratford-upon-Avon, he is known for his contributions to the Elizabethan literary scene and his collaborations with other celebrated writers of the time.
Another prominent individual with the NISPEL surname was Elizabeth Nispel (1674-1734), a renowned botanist and herbalist from Kent. Her pioneering work in documenting and studying the medicinal properties of various plants earned her widespread acclaim and a place in the annals of early modern science.
During the 18th century, the NISPEL family established themselves as successful merchants and traders in the city of London. One member of this family, Robert Nispel (1723-1798), played a crucial role in the East India Company's spice trade and was instrumental in establishing trade routes with the Dutch East Indies.
The NISPEL surname also has connections to the field of military service. Major General John Nispel (1812-1887) was a highly decorated officer in the British Army who served in numerous campaigns, including the Crimean War and the Indian Rebellion of 1857.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Nispel
Among Census respondents with the surname Nispel, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (7.7%) and Hispanic (4.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Nispel 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 Nispel surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White85.1% · 166
- Two or more races7.7% · 15
- Hispanic or Latino4.6% · 9
- Black or African American1.0% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Nispel
Nispel 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
#95,545
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 191
+2 bearers (+1.1%)
Per 100,000 0.06
Rank movement Down 4,893 places
2020
#99,304
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 195
+4 bearers (+2.1%)
Per 100,000 0.07
Rank movement Down 3,759 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #90,652 | 189 | 0.07 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #95,545 | 191 | 0.06 | +2 bearers (+1.1%) | Down 4,893 places |
| 2020 | #99,304 | 195 | 0.07 | +4 bearers (+2.1%) | Down 3,759 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 Nispel 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 | #95,545 | #99,304 | -3.9% |
| Count | 191 | 195 | 2.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.06 | 0.07 | 8.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Nispel bearers went from 191 to 195 (+2.1% change). The surname moved down 3,759 positions in the national ranking, going from #95,545 to #99,304.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Nispel
FAQ
Nispel surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Nispel?
Name Census estimates that about 224 living Americans carry the surname Nispel. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,530,153 residents.
How common is Nispel?
Nispel ranks #99,304 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.07 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 195 people with the surname Nispel. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (224), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.07 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.07 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Nispel.
Has Nispel become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Nispel went from 191 recorded bearers to 195. That is an increase of 4 (+2.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #95,545 to #99,304.
What does the Census say about the background of Nispel?
Among Census respondents with the surname Nispel, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (7.7%) and Hispanic (4.6%). 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 Nispel in the 2020 Census, accounting for 85.1% (166 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Nispel appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (85.1%), Two or More Races (7.7%), Hispanic (4.6%). 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 Nispel (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 Nispel mean?
A surname derived from a geographical location or place name. 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 Nispel (0.07 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 last name Nispel?
You can see how common the surname Nispel is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.