Nel Surname

5,647th
Most Common
surname in the World

Approximately 100,115 people bear this surname

Most prevalent in:
South Africa
Highest density in:
South Africa

Nel Surname Definition:

Gaelic Niall, EG. Niall, Latinized (gen.) by Adamnan (VC., I, 49) Nellie is a diminutive of Irish Nia, 'champion.' Niall was borrowed by the Norsemen and appears in their language as Njall and Njal. Among the Normans in France the name became Nesie or Nile, and by them it was introduced into England and appears in Domesday Book.

Read More About This Surname

Nel Surname Distribution Map

PlaceIncidenceFrequencyRank in Area
South Africa84,0161:64550
Mozambique6,1801:4,4111,010
Angola1,5781:17,1032,033
England1,1271:49,4396,149
Australia7901:34,1724,503
Namibia6841:3,523627
Saudi Arabia6361:48,5157,156
United States5411:669,98053,416
Zimbabwe5341:28,9114,442
Ghana4851:55,7135,980
New Zealand4561:9,9311,727
Haiti3441:31,0582,216
France2711:245,10237,912
Netherlands2231:75,72712,826
Indonesia2041:648,28050,804
Egypt1831:502,38128,715
Portugal1511:68,9953,598
Russia1471:980,42976,068
Canada1421:259,47624,513
Papua New Guinea1371:59,5167,632
India1271:6,039,885141,381
Malawi1051:163,03916,499
Thailand801:882,979139,249
Taiwan701:334,9252,677
Brazil671:3,195,13992,032
Scotland651:82,3666,014
Singapore561:98,3524,171
Iran531:1,448,72758,350
Botswana441:49,7039,263
Malaysia351:842,69238,700
DR Congo341:2,172,929106,971
Philippines311:3,265,749145,701
Ireland301:156,9657,012
Germany271:2,981,684140,707
Cambodia261:595,6594,477
Wales211:147,35910,403
Kazakhstan201:884,12554,571
Seychelles181:5,133784
Belgium161:718,54060,840
Italy161:3,822,293103,776
Madagascar161:1,478,1152,908
Estonia151:88,12015,474
Switzerland131:631,76343,230
Nigeria121:14,761,896248,185
United Arab Emirates121:763,52325,625
Liberia101:440,85421,753
Norway101:514,22941,629
Oman101:368,7975,193
Zambia101:1,584,99231,679
Bahrain91:149,8455,469
China91:151,924,6187,954
Spain91:5,194,67182,436
Honduras81:1,102,0554,829
South Korea81:6,405,0321,091
Sweden71:1,406,680102,017
Cameroon61:3,461,511126,814
Colombia61:7,962,34523,614
Gibraltar61:5,659991
Greece61:1,846,63289,049
Mexico61:20,687,70153,861
Paraguay61:1,206,12410,500
Qatar61:393,00055,922
Belarus51:1,900,21297,012
Iceland51:76,0184,442
Kenya51:9,235,98055,978
Moldova51:712,27439,996
Tanzania51:10,588,32375,430
Tunisia51:122,12516,050
Israel41:2,139,40895,907
Mali41:4,242,2592,433
Morocco41:8,619,02573,251
Peru41:7,946,03141,846
Poland41:9,502,187181,606
Uzbekistan41:7,732,28643,643
Venezuela41:7,551,01953,668
Afghanistan31:10,717,72835,605
Azerbaijan31:3,216,37432,290
Denmark31:1,881,57267,227
Finland31:1,832,23457,803
Hong Kong31:2,445,1619,595
Jersey31:33,0674,675
Pakistan31:59,547,962132,569
Serbia31:2,381,64930,913
Uganda31:13,013,093160,157
Northern Ireland21:922,51818,701
Albania21:1,457,02824,967
Argentina21:21,371,707253,176
Armenia21:1,465,09016,492
Austria21:4,257,71899,224
Benin21:5,167,80184,334
Bolivia21:5,308,21712,400
Bulgaria21:3,489,45264,958
Czechia21:5,316,734169,646
Georgia21:1,872,77235,618
Japan21:63,922,14662,827
Mauritius21:646,70813,517
Romania21:10,038,93580,612
Trinidad and Tobago21:681,98817,017
Ukraine21:22,761,348425,733
Algeria11:38,631,551130,422
Bangladesh11:159,356,77326,077
Barbados11:287,4482,772
Belize11:355,4743,977
Bermuda11:65,2793,010
Brunei11:418,7313,893
Chile11:17,616,47493,597
Congo11:4,989,09634,171
Ecuador11:15,905,84650,210
El Salvador11:6,343,8888,415
Guatemala11:16,082,66812,169
Guernsey11:64,4392,137
Guyana11:762,22114,420
Isle of Man11:85,8224,091
Jamaica11:2,869,94713,896
Jordan11:8,842,43726,010
Kuwait11:3,800,69427,187
Kyrgyzstan11:5,972,65499,197
Latvia11:2,050,04660,295
Lebanon11:5,637,08332,436
Lesotho11:2,032,55823,402
Maldives11:404,1727,269
Mongolia11:2,825,28917,010
Panama11:3,912,25817,195
Rwanda11:11,364,9785,947
Sierra Leone11:7,089,6311,533
Solomon Islands11:580,02922,243
Sri Lanka11:20,808,56018,521
Suriname11:552,6169,664
Swaziland11:1,298,1991,718
PlaceIncidenceFrequencyRank in Area
Scotland31:1,247,73924,719
England11:24,375,369195,128
Jersey11:51,8823,898

Nel (19,886) may also be a first name.

Nel Surname Meaning

From Where Does The Surname Originate? meaning and history

Gaelic Niall, EG. Niall, Latinized (gen.) by Adamnan (VC., I, 49) Nellie is a diminutive of Irish Nia, 'champion.' Niall was borrowed by the Norsemen and appears in their language as Njall and Njal. Among the Normans in France the name became Nesie or Nile, and by them it was introduced into England and appears in Domesday Book. In England the name was Latinized Nigellus on the supposition that it meant 'black,' and in this form is the soerce of Scottish Nigel. Achyne mac Nele attested the bounds of the Grange of Kircwynni and land of Culwen in Kirkgunzeon, 1289 (Holm Cultram, p. 88). John Nele was witness in Irvine, 1455 (Irvine, I, p. 147), and Thomas Nele was bailie of bergh of Are, 1507 (Ayr, p. 37). The family of Neill of Barnwell, Ayrshire claim descent from a cadet of Macneil of Barra, c. 1550, who is said to have settled in Ayrshire. In Galloway, Neil, it is said, was sometimes used as a shortening of Macneillie, which see. As forename: Nile Hog, member of council of Stirling, 1557 (SBR., p. 378).

The Surnames of Scotland (1946) by George Fraser Black (1866-1948)

(1) “Black in Old French,, from Latin “Nigellus”. (2) Also nickname for Cornelius.

South African Surnames (1965) by Eric Rosenthal

Dark complexion.

The Origin and Signification of Scottish Surnames (1862) by Clifford Stanley Sims (1839-1896)

In the Cornish-British signifies power, might, that is, the powerful or mighty. Nevl or Nial, in the Gaelic, signifies a cloud or hue; figuratively, a dark complexion.

An Etymological Dictionary of Family and Christian Names (1857) by William Arthur

Nel Last Name Facts

Where Does The Last Name Nel Come From? nationality or country of origin

The last name Nel (Hindi: नेल, Marathi: नेल, Oriya: େନଲ, Russian: Нел) is found most in South Africa. It can be found as:. For other potential spellings of Nel click here.

How Common Is The Last Name Nel? popularity and diffusion

This surname is the 5,647th most commonly occurring family name internationally. It is borne by around 1 in 72,792 people. This surname occurs predominantly in Africa, where 94 percent of Nel reside; 93 percent reside in Southern Africa and 85 percent reside in South Bantu Africa. It is also the 37,954th most frequently occurring first name world-wide. It is borne by 19,886 people.

It is most frequently held in South Africa, where it is borne by 84,016 people, or 1 in 645. In South Africa it is most common in: Gauteng, where 31 percent are found, Western Cape, where 17 percent are found and Eastern Cape, where 10 percent are found. Excluding South Africa this surname is found in 128 countries. It is also found in Mozambique, where 6 percent are found and Angola, where 2 percent are found.

Nel Family Population Trend historical fluctuation

The occurrence of Nel has changed over time. In England the number of people carrying the Nel surname rose 112,700 percent between 1881 and 2014 and in Scotland it rose 2,167 percent between 1881 and 2014.

Nel Last Name Statistics demography

The religious adherence of those bearing the Nel surname is principally Orthodox (90%) in Russia.

In The United States Nel are 18.02% more likely to be registered with the Republican Party than the national average, with 64.79% being registered with the party.

The amount Nel earn in different countries varies greatly. In South Africa they earn 77.13% more than the national average, earning R 420,924 per year; in Colombia they earn 294.3% more than the national average, earning $89,515,800 COP per year; in United States they earn 13.8% more than the national average, earning $49,104 USD per year and in Canada they earn 33.28% more than the national average, earning $66,218 CAD per year.

Phonetically Similar Names

SurnameSimilarityWorldwide IncidencePrevalency
Noel86240,252/
Nell8618,447/
Neel8618,049/
Niel867,826/
Nael864,848/
Nuel861,556/
Nehl861,021/
Neul86627/
Nelh86113/
Nelp8643/
Neld8641/
Nesl8623/
Nelt866/
Gnel862/
Hnel861/
Nnel861/
Neïl861/
Nl80231/
Noell753,052/
Neeld751,019/
Niell75873/
Negli75374/
Nuell75227/
Niehl75127/
Noehl75117/
Ånell7554/
Neell758/
Nehld753/
Nellø752/
Hænel752/
Ngeel752/
Naell752/
Neelh752/
Neull752/
Nelll751/
Neelt751/
Hnoel751/
Neldt751/
Neldd751/
Nelld751/
Neesl751/
Nelph750/
Nuehl750/
Nil6718,201/
Nyl671,373/
Hånell6767/
Nelova6759/
Nehele6734/
Nhl6718/
Nlh6710/
Nlp6710/
Nld678/
Hæhnel676/
Nlt674/
Hnl674/
Nll673/
Nnl672/
H'Niel671/
D'Noel671/
Neglil671/
Nnoell670/

Nel Name Transliterations

TransliterationICU LatinPercentage of Incidence
Nel in the Hindi language
नेलnela-
Nel in the Oriya language
େନଲenala94.83
େନଳenala3.45
Nel in the Marathi language
नेलnela76
नेळnela24
Nel in the Russian language
Нелnel-

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Footnotes

  • Surnames are taken as the first part of an person's inherited family name, caste, clan name or in some cases patronymic
  • Descriptions may contain details on the name's etymology, origin, ethnicity and history. They are largely reproduced from 3rd party sources; diligence is advised on accepting their validity - more information
  • Name distribution statistics are generated from a global database of over 4 billion people - more information
  • Heatmap: Dark red means there is a higher occurrence of the name, transitioning to light yellow signifies a progressively lower occurrence. Clicking on selected countries will show mapping at a regional level
  • Rank: Name are ranked by incidence using the ordinal ranking method; the name that occurs the most is assigned a rank of 1; name that occur less frequently receive an incremented rank; if two or more name occur the same number of times they are assigned the same rank and successive rank is incremented by the total preceeding names
  • Ethnic group cannot necessarily be determined by geographic occurrence
  • Similar: Names listed in the "Similar" section are phonetically similar and may not have any relation to Nel
  • To find out more about this surname's family history, lookup records on Family​Search, My​Heritage, FindMyPast and Ancestry. Further information may be obtained by DNA analysis